Apologies for not having an A/N last chapter. Anyways, welcome to my new story.

This one I had running through my head around the time the anime first came out, which was about 3 years ago now. Talk about a long time. But I freaking love the Alicization arc of SAO. It's honestly my personal favorite because of everything surrounding it: the different characters, the Underworld and its mechanics, but especially the trio of Kirito, Eugeo, and Alice. Honestly, those three made this arc even more awesome (also, Eugeo is my favorite character there is, just fyi).

So anyways, after much thought, planning, and inspiration, I decided to make this AU fic.

Just one last disclaimer: Sword Art Online and all its content is the property of Reki Kawahara. I own nothing beyond just an idea.

Now then,

LINK START!

Chapter 1:

The Journey Begins

The distant thuds made at the base of the Gigas Cedar resounded once more near the village of Rulid. The Dragonbone axe making its mark in the indent made on the tree. And with each thud made, a notch was being made nearby. It had been six years since the friends of Kirito and Eugeo were taken by the Integrity Knights, and all that time they had spent slaving away at their Calling. Despite how long ago it was, they never forgot the faces of their childhood friends, Alice Zuberg and Asuna Yuki. Many of the villagers had readily forgot about the girls due to them having violated the Taboo Index as they did, which was enough to drive Kirito up the wall. He hated how he and Eugeo seemed to be the only ones who cared about them, or even bothered to remember they ever existed. As Eugeo finished his 50th swing, they both rested at the base thinking on everything revolving around their promise to rescue their friends.

Despite what they said, they were no closer to going to Centoria and rescuing the two girls from the Axiom Church. Like they thought six years ago, they were not going to be cutting down the Gigas Cedar in their lifetime. The frustration at this futility grated on Kirito, who in turn got on Eugeo's nerves because of his zeal in going after Alice and Asuna. Yet there was still little doing. This was their Calling, and they couldn't just abandon it. Not to mention the villagers kept a very close eye on them ever since the incident and often checked with their families to ensure they weren't doing anything that would risk their village being threatened by the Integrity Knights.

Stewing on these thoughts, Kirito groaned and griped, "How long is this going to take? We should have been gone ages ago."

"Knock it off Kirito," Eugeo replied as he pulled out a bit of bread from the bakery. "Moaning like that won't make our work go faster."

Sitting up, Kirito whined, "Aren't you mad Eugeo? It's like no one cares Asuna and Alice are gone. Their families even convinced themselves that their daughters never existed." Gritting his teeth, he seethed, "It shouldn't be like this! We should be at Centoria trying to become Integrity Knights so we can save them. Not wasting our time chopping at this damn tree."

Eugeo sighed, taking a bite out of his stale bread. After he swallowed, he returned, "I'm just as upset as you are Kirito. We promised we would find them, but we have been at this for six years. I'm starting to think that man we met was giving us false hope."

"Yeah, I'm starting to think the same thing," Kirito admitted. "I mean, we believed our oath would hold true despite what happened. We were so gullible we believed that old wives' tale."

"But we still have to think of something," the flaxen-haired youth reminded. "There just has to be a faster way to cut down the Gigas Cedar and finish our Callings. Once we do, we can take on the Callings of swordsmen and go to the Imperial Swordcraft Academy."

"That's if we can ever cut this thing down," Kirito muttered grumpily. "This Dragonbone axe is next to useless." No argument was made there. They had only managed to cut down a minute fraction of its present Life in the six years they chopped at it. The rate they were going at was appalling. They had both thought of maybe attempting to bring the Blue Rose Sword and using that, but Kirito's Authority still wasn't high enough while Eugeo just never attempted to lift the sword from the ground it rested on.

Once their lunch was done, Kirito got up to take his turn at chopping the tree. As he did, Eugeo went over to the side and picked up a wooden practice sword he and Kirito made. He then went through different motions to practice his swordsmanship, working to improve his skills and knowledge about how to use a sword. When Kirito did his 50 swings, they would switch, and he would practice while Eugeo chopped away.

After they had done around 400 axe swings, they heard someone approach. They turned to see the same cloaked figure that they had met after Alice and Asuna were taken. "I see you are improving," he spoke to them. "But it appears your skills have plateaued. You will need to stretch out beyond simple sword swings to have a chance at saving those closest to you."

Stuffing the axe in the dirt, Kirito challenged, "And you're supposed to know how we are meant to improve? All your 'lessons' have landed us nowhere, not to mention you've been lying to us for six years."

"I assure you by the goddess Stacia that I do not lie," the man assured. "You simply need to expand your repertoire to grow as swordsmen. While you have learned how to wield those swords, you have yet to master a style fit for you to use in true battle."

Curious, Eugeo prompted, "What do you mean?"

The man looked to Kirito, and told him, "Hold your sword near your eye, and concentrate on wanting to thrust it into the furthest tree in front of you." The raven-haired boy was still miffed at this stranger, but he acknowledged and did as he was told. When he got in position and concentrated on one of the far trees, his sword gave a strange 'whine' sound as it glowed purple. "Good," the man acknowledged. Then he instructed, "Now imagine yourself dashing forward with your sword in front of you, and release." Kirito did, and he moved swiftly towards the tree before his wooden sword made impact and rattled his arm. But the two were surprised by what had just happened.

"What was that just now?" Kirito questioned.

"That is part of the style I wish to impart on you," the stranger explained. "The move you just used is one dubbed the Vorpal Strike. A simple dashing strike using a one-handed longsword like yours." As Kirito looked to his blade, the man continued, "There are other such skills for this style that can give you an edge in combat over most beasts and even other people. Some allow you to strike more than once, while others give your strikes more power. But these must be used with caution, as they also leave you open to counterattack."

"Why are you teaching us these skills?" Eugeo questioned, almost defiantly. "We have no right to learn this style anyway."

"No?" the stranger returned. He then told them, "The style I teach you belongs to no noble lineage, nor shall it ever. It is a style that emphasizes survival and spirit. In truth, only true swordsman who know the weight of the sword itself can wield it. Your use of the Vorpal Strike confirms what I already knew of you."

"And what is that?" Kirito asked aggressively.

"That you both were meant to wield this style," the man answered. This gave the two boys pause. This sword style that they had been taught for the last six years alongside their Calling was so different from ones like the High-Norkia Style that only a select few swordsmen could actually use. That still left one question unanswered.

"Why would you bother teaching us such a special sword style?" Kirito asked. "We're just a couple of loggers with no hope for a future."

The man seemed to cast his face downward before replying, "Do you truly believe that? Or did I mishear so many times your desire to defy this world and its rulings?" Kirito clammed up at that, considering he was potentially in trouble for speaking like that aloud in the first place. The man continued, "I am teaching this style to you because I believe, without a shred of doubt, that you two are meant to change this world. A world that has fallen from what it was meant to be, twisted by the corruption of its leaders and the blind obedience of its people. Only those with wills like yours could ever hope to achieve the goals you possess."

"You make it sound like Kirito and I are the only hope for everyone here," Eugeo commented.

To which the man questioned back, "Aren't you?" With the matter settled, he then spoke, "Let us continue your training while you carry out your Calling."

As the sun began to set and the orange sky lay over the land, Kirito and Eugeo put away their practice swords and Dragonebone axe to call it a day. Both were rather exhausted by the man's teachings and from their work cutting into the Gigas Cedar. But the two were more hopeful than they were before. If they kept up their training, they felt there might be a chance to go after Alice and Asuna at long last.

As they came into town, Kirito's kid sister Suguha came stomping up to them in her green dress, looking rather irritated for some reason. "Kirito," she spoke sternly.

"Hey there, Sugu," Kirito regarded.

"Don't give me that! Where have you been?" she demanded. "It's almost time for the evening meal. Mom was beginning to think you weren't going to make it in time."

"Sorry Suguha," Eugeo tried to vouch. "Kirito and I got caught up doing our Calling."

Turning on him, Suguha chastised, "Stop making excuses Eugeo. You need to get home too." At that, the two boys gave a quick farewell before parting ways. As Eugeo went home to his brothers, Kirito went with Suguha to their home.

"Sugu, can't you give Eugeo a break?" he requested. "He gets enough grief at home with his family. We don't need you adding to it."

Letting out a sigh, Suguha replied, "I know. I just don't want you guys to get in trouble and disappear. Like…" She trailed off at the end, but Kirito already had an idea who she was talking about.

"Like Asuna and Alice did," he finished for her. Then addressed, "I thought you weren't especially close with either of them."

"I was close with Alice and Selka, since we both had Callings around the church here," Suguha protested. "Besides, we're both worried. Selka keeps putting up a brave front, but I know she misses her sister badly. Not to mention Asuna even gave me some pointers when I watched her practice her family's style of fighting."

When they got to their house, Kirito rested a hand on her shoulder and assured, "Don't worry. We're not going to just disappear like that."

"I guess so," she replied, unsure about his words. "But still, you two need to move on. They're gone, and they are never coming back."

At that, Kirito's face became serious, and he said, "They will. We made an oath." And he went inside, leaving Suguha worried as she followed him to have dinner.

A couple days later was the day of rest. On such a day, Selka Zuberg was dragging along Suguha towards a more secluded section of the woods. The two walked, following the sounds of grunts and clunks of wood that were loud enough to be tracked. They soon came to a clearing where they saw Eugeo and Kirito training with their practice swords. It seemed that, even after all this time, nothing the village did could dissuade the two from their mission to go rescue Asuna and Alice. Even after six years, these two still went at it like it was the last thing they were going to do.

But today, they noticed how they performed odd attacks when their swords rang and glowed, and they moved in such distinct ways. It was different from how the men-at-arms would use their swords to ward off beasts wandering towards the village. Not to mention there was such intent in each swing, like a will behind it drove the swords through their motions. Neither of them could take their eyes off the boys. That is until they noticed a cloaked figure approaching them. With his cowl up to hide his face, they weren't sure what to think about Kirito and Eugeo getting instructed in the ways of the sword from this man. Including the fact that the two seemed to be listening closely to whatever instructions he was giving. They were too far away to hear, and this prompted Suguha to try and lean closer to here. However, she instead stumbled out of the brush and into the clearing, startling the boys with her appearance.

"Ah… Welcome," the hooded man greeted, seemingly unsurprised by their appearance.

Having been exposed, Selka came forward and replied, "Please forgive us. We were worried about Kirito and Eugeo."

Before the boys could question why they would be worried, the man assured, "You are in no danger. I am responsible for these boys learning the art of the sword. You might say that is a Calling of my own: to pass on the knowledge I bear to worthy successors." He then addressed to the two boys, "This will be enough for today. Remember what I taught you, and never forget your oath." And he walked away. Suguha started to pursue him, but Kirito stopped her before she could take off.

"We've tried following him before," he explained. "But he seems to fade into the forest, as if he only comes when he has something to do with us."

"Who is that man?" Suguha asked.

"We don't know," Eugeo answered. "We met him that day Asuna and Alice were taken. But he's never said what his name is, or why he insists on teaching us a sword style belonging to his lineage."

Turning to the girls, Kirito then asked, "So why are you girls spying on us like we're about to break another rule in the Taboo Index? It's as if you think we're going to get whisked away by the Integrity Knights."

"That's not it at all!" Selka argued. "You two have been distant with the villagers, and we don't want you guys to risk your lives recklessly."

"You're trying to stop us?" Eugeo questioned.

To which Suguha told them, "If we have to, we will." Looking at the two boys, she added, "You guys just seem so bitter about everything. Even when you're home you don't talk to anyone, not even us. Why?"

Kirito dipped his head, so his bangs hid his eyes, and replied with an edge in his voice, "You know very well why."

At this, Selka inquired, "Is it because of my sister and Asuna?" When neither boy replied, she pressed further, "But why? You know the Integrity Knight's word is absolute. Asuna and Alice broke the Taboo Index. They had to face punishment."

Turning on her, Kirito shouted, "Then we should have gone with them! We were with them at the edge of the Dark Territory. We helped bring them back after crossing the border. Everything they did, we did. We should have been punished as well."

Eugeo stepped up and spoke, "He's right. We were there too. So, we should have been punished alongside them. Yet the knight only took them. We were just as guilty, and yet we were left here to wallow in our lives. If the Integrity Knight's word is absolute, why are we being made to suffer?"

Selka went over to him, a pleading look in her eyes. "Eugeo, you and Kirito didn't break the Index," she tried to reason. "You should be thankful the knight allowed you to stay. I miss my sister very much, but there's nothing to change what happened."

"And you're fine with that?" Eugeo challenged, causing the girl to stumble back. "You are happy that Alice is at the Church, suffering with Asuna for something so small? We were all children Selka. How do you justify that?"

"Eugeo…" she responded wistfully, terrified of this side of him.

Kirito picked up by telling them, "We're not going to let it end like this. Not if we have Life in us." He raised his head, and declared, "We will save Alice and Asuna."

"Are you two crazy?!" Suguha exclaimed. "You're basically declaring yourselves enemies of the Axiom Church. If you do that, you'll be executed." But Kirito's steely resolve didn't falter, despite her words to him. This terrified the girls, as they weren't sure what to do to stop the boys from essentially going on a suicide quest.

But it was Eugeo who calmly said, "Our enemy isn't the Church. All we want is our friends. That's all we seek." This seemed to calm Kirito down, and he relaxed his posture at his friend's words. "We're sorry to worry you both, but he is right," Eugeo continued saying. "We will save Alice and Asuna. We made an oath to be together, and we have to see it fulfilled no matter what." With that, the two boys picked up their practice swords and started making their way back to the village.

Before they left, Selka inquired, "The Integrity Knight said they crossed into the Dark Territory. Is that what really happened?" This caused the boys to stop, halted by the question given to them.

Eugeo looked back and answered, "They merely grazed it, but it was when they were trying to save the life of another." With that, Eugeo coaxed Kirito back, leaving the girls mystified by everything they had just witnessed.

The following morning, Kirito was awoken by rather urgent knocking on the door. He rose from his bed, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, before going to the door. He wobbled to the door, muttering for whoever it was to simmer down. But when he opened it, he was jolted awake by the surprise face of Gasfut Zuberg, the village chief.

"Kirito, is your sister home?" he inquired, sounding rather urgent. It took a moment, but Kirito managed to check in Suguha's room for the village chief. When he did, he found she was nowhere to be found.

Returning to the door, he informed, "She's not in her room. What's wrong?"

"Selka has gone missing, and I was hoping your sister would know something about it," Gasfut replied. This got Kirito more alert than before. Selka was missing too? "Kirito, I need you to help find my daughter," Gasfut instructed. "Find your sister if you can and figure out where Selka is."

"Wouldn't Sister Azalia have told you about Selka and Suguha?" Kirito questioned.

"Sister Azalia was the one to report they were missing," Gasfut informed sternly. With that, he left to rally more of the men-at-arms. It then struck Kirito about why Selka, and even Suguha, might have been missing, and he silently cursed under his breath before racing off for Eugeo's home.

Upon arrival, Eugeo sleepily answered the door to receive the news from Kirito about Selka being missing, and Suguha possibly with her. This shocked him awake, and he and Kirito decided to equip themselves to find the girls and look at the one place they most likely snuck off to: the caves leading to the Dark Territory.

When they arrived at the cave, Eugeo grabbed a cattail and used the luminous sacred art from when they were kids to light the way. Wasting no time, the two boys rushed inside before taking a more cautious speed entering the deeper parts of the cave. Both boys were on alert, wary for any sign of trouble. It didn't take long for the cave temperature to drop, and the two recalled their last venture into this area back with Asuna and Alice. But this only cemented their concern about what Selka and Suguha were trying to do.

"You don't really think they are going to violate the Taboo Index just to find Alice and Asuna, do you?" Eugeo asked partway through their trek.

Kirito shook his head, answering, "They wouldn't dream of being that disobedient. And as a sister-in-training, Selka alone would not even think of doing something like that."

"But what if they do?" Eugeo pressed. "What if they do what Asuna and Alice did?" No response came right away, while Kirito halted his progress in the cave to think and forcing Eugeo to wait for him.

Then the black-haired youth answered, "If they do, we'll do what we couldn't before. We'll save them." With that, the two boys pressed on.

As they neared the treasure cave, they heard voices up ahead that were clearly inhuman. The boys hid behind some boulders and looked around to spot something horrifying. Gathered near the other end of the cave were grotesque, green goblins all hunched over and wearing nothing but loincloths. They seemed to be celebrating something, as they sounded rather pleased about something. Eugeo was too timid to watch on, but Kirito peered around to scan the scene. There were maybe six or seven goblins gathered, all with their backs to them. A wagon was stationed past them, with what looked like two bundles laying on it. But when Kirito tried to discern it a bit more, he realized the wagon had what looked like people on it.

"Eugeo, look at the wagon behind those goblins," Kirito instructed quietly. Although nervous, Eugeo complied and looked. He gasped, nearly giving them away when he realized what was on the wagon.

As Kirito ducked down to check on his friend, Eugeo whispered, "Kirito, that's Selka and Suguha. They're caught." This reveal created a pit in Kirito's stomach. Everyone in Rulid had heard the tales of creatures from the Dark Territory taking away people, potentially eating them or using them in dark rituals. No doubt that was what they intended for the girls. They couldn't let that happen.

Kirito looked around, and noticed a few crude swords lying on the ground before them. If he was going to save Selka and Suguha, he would need to snatch one and take care of those goblins. It was time to see that the hooded man's training didn't go to waste.

"Eugeo, I'm going to grab one of those swords and take care of those goblins," he informed his friend. "When I do, get to Selka and Suguha, and get them back to the village."

"But what about you?" Eugeo questioned. "You can't fend them all off on your own."

Kneeling down to his level, Kirito urged, "Don't worry about that. Just get them somewhere safe. That's all that matters, alright. Don't look back, and don't save me. Just rescue the girls, then save Asuna and Alice." And he left before Eugeo could protest to his harebrained scheme.

The minute he picked up a sword, one of the goblins appeared to sniff the air before spotting him. "An Ium!" he called to his brethren. "More meat for the trip home."

With the other goblins getting up and claiming their weapons, another ordered, "Kill the Ium. We can have his meat before returning to the tribal grounds."

"You won't have me so easily!" Kirito threatened, raising his sword to fight. Two of the goblins went for him, and he countered their charge with some quick parries before cutting them down. Blood oozed onto the icy floor upon their death, and Kirito flicked what got on his sword off. The remainder became hesitant to charge him, seeing how two of their brethren were just cut down with barely any difficulty. As they cowered, Eugeo tried to make his way to the girls. But then, a rumbling in the cave made both him and Kirito falter a bit.

Stomping from the other tunnel came a much larger goblin, clearly the leader, dressed in metal scale armor and a head piece around his forehead sporting bright feathers. Under that, his reddened eyes were full of an overwhelmingly evil and icy intelligence that sent shivers down Kirito's spine. Ugly teeth jutted from its leering mouth, as he grinned looking down upon the little human that attempted to fight his minions.

"Little Iums all the way out here?" he bellowed, laughing. "I've never seen Iums be so quick to meet their deaths as this one."

Regaining his confidence, Kirito called out, "I am Kirito, swordsman of my village. And I will slay you demons here and now to keep you from tainting our land with your very presence." This brought a chorus of laughter from the goblins, which made Kirito falter once more.

"You cannot best Ugachi the Lizard Killer," the leader boasted. "No Ium is strong enough to beat the greatest goblin there is." Pointing a massive blade at the youth, he declared, "We shall eat good tonight, once I cleave you in two."

"I'd like to see you try," Kirito retorted. As he drew the goblins' attention, Eugeo resumed his journey to rescue Selka and Suguha. As he went, his foot tapped something on the ground. He looked down to see the Blue Rose Sword, the very same sword he and the others found in this cave all those years ago. Looking at it gave him pause, as he felt a silent pull towards the weapon.

Without warning, the goblin called Ugachi charged at Kirito with his blade at his side. Kirito raced forward and slid under him, dodging the cleaver as it came down where he once stood. He then rested his sword on his back, and it glowed with a ring. He rushed forward, initiating the Sonic Leap technique that cut a bit into Ugachi's back. Once he landed, he darted to the side as Ugachi tried to retaliate. He kept this up to distract the goblin leader and would lash out if any of the minions tried going after him during the battle. He hoped to draw their attention towards him to give Eugeo as much cover as he could. And with this goblin's size, he knew there was no chance of him winning this battle. Yet, he was willing to accept that sort of outcome. He knew it to be possible and was not willing to try and refute it. Not when his sister and Selka's lives hung in the balance.

On his next dodge, Kirito tripped over a slot in the ground, tumbling onto his side. This snapped Eugeo out of his trance with the sword at his feet to see his friend collide with the wall. Ugachi laughed boisterously at his run of luck and sauntered over as Kirito tried to pick himself up. The flaxen-haired boy looked back down at the sword, before reaching down to grab it. In that moment, a jolt raced through him, and he felt such depth from the sword he was not fully aware of. In that moment of connection, he knew, without a shred of doubt, that he could now wield this very sword.

As he approached the tiny human, Ugachi taunted, "You have no hope, little Ium. Now you will become our next meal." But then he heard someone call out, "Hey!" Turning around, he saw another boy on the other side holding a white-blue sword in his hand. Eugeo gripped the handle and pulled the sword effortlessly from its sheathe. He positioned the sword to his eye, and it rang once more while glowing purple. Ugachi spat on the ground and rushed at him. Eugeo let out a scream as he lunged forward, letting the sword carry him across. The two warriors met, while the deafening sound of clanging metal resounded in the cave. Eugeo slid past the goblin and stopped just short of Kirito. He smirked, then Ugachi's left arm was severed above the elbow. The goblin leader squealed at the pain he was experiencing and dropped his sword so he could crush the lump and cease the flow of blood.

Eugeo helped Kirito up, and said, "Sorry Kirito. But you needed help. I just—"

But Kirito shook his head, resting a hand on his shoulder. "Thanks, Eugeo," he assured his friend. "I'd have been goblin meat if it weren't for you." Eugeo smiled at his friend's praise, then the two looked back to Ugachi as he gave a very menacing stare at the two. He roared in outrage as he thundered to them, but the boys settled into crouched positions to receive. Ugachi swung his blade down on them, but they got out of the way and cut up to form a 'V'. The shape caused Ugachi's front to explode with power, and deep cuts appeared as blood pooled out of him. He staggered back, dropping his cleaver in the process, before falling back. He let out one last guttural breath before he moved no more.

The other goblins saw this, and instantly panicked. They began to flee back to the Dark Territory, abandoning their captives as they ran for their lives. Kirito and Eugeo then relaxed and hurried over to the girls. As they came about, the two cut them free using their swords.

"Kirito," Selka spoke as she regained consciousness. "Eugeo."

"Are you alright? Suguha? Selka?" Eugeo asked. When the two girls answered that they were fine, Eugeo gave a soft smile before he fell to his knees.

"Eugeo!" Kirito cried out, rushing to his friend's side. He then saw a small trail of blood down his left arm and a noticeable cut on his shoulder. He realized his friend got injured during the fight when he tried to save him. Then he began to worry when he heard Eugeo pant as if he had exerted himself in that battle. Selka knelt beside him and checked his condition.

"Poison," she uttered, horrified by her discovery.

Looking to her, Kirito asked, "Can you heal him?"

"I-I don't know," she responded, flustered. "This requires sacred arts beyond my ability. We won't have time to get back to the village to treat the poison before it is too late to save him." Things weren't looking good, and Kirito could see his friend was doing all he could to stay awake.

Surprisingly, Suguha urged, "You have to try Selka. You know more about the sacred arts than any of us here. You should be able to heal him."

"But…" Selka tried to argue. But the words failed to leave her lips.

"Suguha's right," Kirito added. "Only you can do this Selka. This isn't about Alice, Asuna, or anyone else. This is simply you. And I know if anyone can save him, it's you."

Selka looked among the three around her, and quietly asked, "Are you sure?"

"Definitely," the siblings voiced together. And that seemed to cement her resolve.

"Place your hands on the ground," she instructed. "I need to create a path to extract the poison and cast it into Terreria to cleanse." The two did as she told them, resting a hand on the ground. Selka herself directed their free hands onto her shoulders before resting both her hands on Eugeo. Then, she uttered, "System Call: Transfer Foreign Element from Target Front to Open Channel." Immediately, colored lights surrounded the four at the command. Eugeo's body pulsed a white light tinged with purple fluctuations, while the other three were all white. Slowly, the purple light traversed to Selka's hands and poured across her arms. She grimaced as this happened, but kept the connection going. The purple light then transferred to Kirito and Suguha, before pulsing into the earth and fading away. With this, the poison was gradually being pumped out of Eugeo into the earth. Kirito grit his teeth as he felt the poison enter him, stinging him like barbs in a prickly bush. He heard Suguha whimper as she shared part of the burden, and Selka grunting with effort in maintaining the sacred art.

"Hang on," Kirito softly spoke to the others. "We're almost there." But his strength began to wane, and he could feel himself slipping in and out of consciousness. He fought it as best as he could, but it wasn't long before his world went black.

The next day, Kirito and Eugeo were gazing up at the tree that had kept them bound to this village for six years since their declaration to save their friends. They looked up to it not with resignation as they usually would, but with a firm determination. Today would be the day.

Eugeo rotated his shoulder, still feeling the phantom pain from yesterday's poison. It had been a taxing process on all of them, but they had succeeded in getting all of it out of him. The only downside was that the poison seemed to have affected Kirito so much that he passed out. They were able to return to the village with the girls, though no one bothered to ask for any details. Which suited Eugeo and Kirito just fine.

The two boys looked to the pale-blue sword in Eugeo's hands, then back to the Gigas Cedar. This was going to be the day they broke free. At long last, they could fulfill their promise all those years ago. Kirito fell back a bit to give Eugeo space, and the flaxen-haired boy held the sword out to his side. When it rang and glowed, he let out a mighty cry as he swung across the tree's base, striking the indent made by the Dragonbone axe from over 300 years of carvers. A mighty, metallic thud resounded throughout the forest, scaring any wildlife nearby. The indent appeared to have consumed half of the tree's base from the one swing, with it appearing to be teetering on what was left. With another swing, Eugeo cut across once more. The tree gave a mighty groan as most of its base was cleaved, and it fell to the ground with a booming crash.

The two looked at their handiwork, processing what they had just accomplished. Then Kirito grinned, declaring, "The Gigas Cedar has fallen! I knew using the Blue Rose Sword would do the trick."

Relaxing his stance and sheathing the sword, Eugeo chided, "You just suggested it on a random whim after I showed it to you. Don't take credit for something you didn't do."

"It doesn't matter Eugeo," Kirito countered. "What matters is the deed is done. We're free." The realization finally dawned on him. Eugeo looked to the sword he had used back in the caves, the very sword he now felt connected to and guarded after bringing it back to the village. He could finally leave. He and Kirito could finally save Alice and Asuna. His coming to terms with this revelation brought tears to his eyes as he remembered the faces of his two closest friends.

"You're right Kirito," he returned, rubbing the tears from his eyes. "We can finally go after them. We can go rescue Alice and Asuna."

Kirito smirked, stating, "Chief Gasfut has to let us go now. If Alice were here, she would bring up how the laws allow for anyone who has accomplished their Calling to declare a new one. He won't say no to that." Eugeo said nothing in reply. He just reveled in the elation that he could finally go find his friends and bring them home to Rulid.

Later that evening, the town threw a small celebration for the boys in cutting down the Gigas Cedar. Many in the village congratulated the boys on their achievement, though most could be seen smiling through gritted teeth. Namely Eugeo's own siblings. Suguha kept close to Kirito, though she and Selka were mostly silent during the party. They knew what the boys would want, and there were parts of them that dreaded what would come of it. Despite that, Kirito gave a lot of attention to his little sister, hoping to ease the pain that would follow when they would set out tomorrow.

At the climax, Chief Gasfut called Kirito and Eugeo to the elevated platform to give the announcement of their new Callings. Both boys went up to him, though Eugeo was understandably nervous compared to Kirito. But a quick look between the two helped him steel his resolve and affirm his devotion.

"Today we celebrate our two carvers, Eugeo and Kirito, in toppling the stubborn Gigas Cedar," Gasfut declared. The village roared in approval at this, shaking their mugs and applauding the two youths. "And now, they have the right to declare their new Calling," he added. With that, he inquired, "Eugeo, Kirito, what will you claim as your new Calling?"

Eugeo took a deep breath and shared one last glance at Kirito. Then he declared, "Kirito and I have agreed to take on the same Calling. We will set out to become Swordsmen." Murmurs rose among the crowd at this announcement. Many questioned the boys and their capacity to take on this role. But Gasfut silenced them with a wave of his hand, much to Eugeo's relief.

"Very well then," he regarded. "So it shall be. Under the goddesses, the Calling of Swordsmen is yours to claim."

But before the boys could step down to resume the festivities, one of the men-at-arms called out, "I will not accept it!" The man that stepped forward was the chief man-at-arms, Zink, followed by his father Doik. "These boys have no talent for the sword, nor have their families ever possessed it for generations," Zink argued. "I bear the Calling of Swordsman, as my father before me. And I will prove these two cannot be Swordsmen." Kirito glowered at the guy. He had always been a bit of a bully to him and Eugeo and his family had always held themselves in high esteem, thinking they were the most experienced warriors in the village.

"Zink, we are allowed to choose this," he retorted. "If you don't like it, then don't drag everyone else into it."

"I am allowed to state my case as our village's chief man-at-arms," Zink argued back. "That's why I will challenge both you and Eugeo, to prove you are no better than I." Kirito was about to refute, when Eugeo stopped him.

"We'll accept, if only to show you we can be swordsmen," he returned. Kirito was forced to relent and accept they had to overcome one last hurdle.

Setting themselves in a clearing near where everyone could see, Eugeo and Kirito faced Zink. The order was that Kirito would fight first using one of the swords lent by another man-at-arms, then Eugeo would fight using the Blue Rose Sword. As the two prepared for the first bout, Kirito's gaze steeled. He drew upon all the knowledge the hooded man had imparted on him and Eugeo, settling into a stance to unleash a skill that would end this duel in one move. When ready, both he and Zink charged at each other. Kirito's sword glowed orange as the skill guided his arm in an upward stroke. At contact, the impact of the blade knocked Zink's sword right out of his hand, and it landed behind him with the point in the ground. Kirito held his sword at Zink's neck, signaling the end of the duel. The crowd was impressed at how quickly Kirito bested the chief man-at-arms, not to mention using a skill they were not familiar with. With his duel done, Kirito stepped out to allow Eugeo to take his turn at besting his opponent.

Zink calmly collected his sword, though he appeared rather furious at the result of the last duel. Eugeo knew this would lend itself to him, knowing Zink would be reckless and not be concerned with simply striking to disarm. And that proved true when Zink rushed forward with a war cry, his sword over his head in a wild attack. Unlike Kirito, Eugeo sidestepped this attack calmly. Zink tried to land another blow after the first one missed, but he was unable to land that one. Strike after strike the man-at-arms tried to take down the flaxen-haired youth, only to hit nothing but air in the process. Until, Eugeo intercepted his sword strike. And upon doing so, Zink's sword was cut in two due to the higher priority of the Blue Rose Sword. The chief man-at-arms stared at the hilt of his blade in stunned silence, his mouth agape in shock. The townsfolk were equally amazed as they watched Eugeo sheathe his sword. With the matter settled, Chief Gasfut stepped forward to address the village.

"There you have it," he declared. "Both Kirito and Eugeo shall follow their Callings, wherever they may take them." And with that, the party resumed. The boys met up and shared one last glance at Zink while he was still too stunned to move. Then they rejoined everyone else.

That night, Kirito dreamed of being in a field. There was nothing but grassland around him, dotted with flowers and ferns of various colors. He then felt a presence behind him after looking around and spotted someone he knew all too well. Though she didn't look the same with her hair going down her back and being the same height as he, there was no mistaking that chestnut hair, or her hazel eyes. She was dressed in white, almost blinding to look at. Kirito stood stock still as he saw his friend Asuna.

"Come find me, Kirito," Asuna spoke in a warm, welcoming voice. "Alice and I are waiting for you at Centoria."