Disclaimer: Reki Kawahara is the creator/author of SAO. All rights go to him and associated parties.
Chapter 23:
One's Own Battle
Bursting out of the cave, Amayori spread her wings wide as the wind blew past. Once the dragon was gliding, three of her passengers hopped off and summoned their wings to soar beside the dragon and her rider, Alice. The four looked back to see the monsters from the cave gathered on the edge, but not attempting to go after them.
Face scrunched in anger, Leafa griped, "Were you trying to get us killed?"
"It was the fastest way to leave the caves without being bogged down by monsters," Alice retorted. "Would you rather we waste time when lives are at stake?"
"Let's forget about that for now," Kirito intervened. "Leafa, where is this meeting taking place at again?"
"It's Butterfly Canyon, which might take us a good 40 minutes if we fly at this speed," she reported.
Looking to the two humans, Sinon inquired, "You think you can increase your speed to make the time?"
"Go ahead without me for now," Alice told them. "We will catch up when we can." No one argued, and the three with wings jetted off. Despite this, Alice did spur Amayori to speed up. The dragon did so, surprisingly, keeping pace behind the fairies.
About half an hour into their flight, Sinon looked left and saw something that dropped a stone in her stomach. In such large quantities was the army of the Salamanders. She herself had never seen so many of them in one place. But it confirmed the fears she had. Knowing Alicia Rue and Sakuya, they wouldn't have many guardsmen with them to avoid drawing attention. Thus they would be overwhelmed in an instant when the Salamanders converged on their position.
That was when Leafa spotted where the meeting was. She pointed this out to the others as they approached, and pointed out the woman with long, black hair in green with a long sword strapped horizontal to her back and a younger-looking girl in dark yellow with dirty-blonde hair and cat features like ears and a tail, calling them out to be Sakuya and Alicia Rue. But they looked between the meeting place and the Salamanders, realizing there was no more time.
"We didn't get here in time," Leafa said in despair. "I'm sorry Kirito."
"If you want to bail, now's the time to do so," Sinon told him. "But Leafa and I will go to protect our leaders."
But Kirito refused by saying, "I meant what I said back there. The Salamanders conquering the Sylphs and Cait Sith are just as much a danger to us humans as they are to you. We're not letting them grow like this. I'll fight them all if I have to."
"You know that's suicide, right?" Leafa posed to him. And it indeed was with those numbers.
Yui didn't contribute to the matter when she reported, "I count at least 50,000 soldiers among the Salamanders. And nearly a dozen with the Sylph and Cait Sith leaders."
Sighing, Sinon remarked, "Well, it'll just be another day in the field. Too bad taking out their commander wouldn't force them to retreat." Those words sparked an idea in Kirito's head. Without another word, he put on another spurt of speed to make it for the meeting, surprising Leafa and Sinon.
Kirito rushed with the wind rushing past him, his coat flapping as he soared. He could see the twelve fairies on the elevated island within the canyon, not to mention spotting the red-clad army of the Salamanders. They held position in the air above the leaders, armed with spears and shields across the board. They were an intimidating sight, but Kirito figured there was one way to shoo them away.
Bercouli had told him during a Dungeon Master battle that taking out the head was the best way to scatter the minions. In this case, he needed to find the commander of the army and defeat him. If he did that, he could prove his strength and dictate to the Salamanders to leave. But he wouldn't be able to get an audience just by showing up. He needed to show he was worth their leader's time. And the only way to do that was putting forward some prestige. Considering he defeated the ruler of Aincrad, there might be a way for him to do that.
Not even stopping for a moment, Kirito crashed right into the ground. He was able to pull his legs up to take the hit, but he bet he lost some Life from the blow. Deciding not to bother with it, he looked up at the Salamanders, standing between them and the party he came to save.
"Salamanders, stand down!" He barked at the red army. His words made many of them murmur in confusion at why someone, especially a human, was trying to dictate to them. Leafa and Sinon finally arrived, with the former healing Kirito after seeing his rather brash landing.
Just as he rose after being healed, Kirito saw some Salamanders part in the center as a man floated forward. This man had more stylized red armor with gold rims, he had maroon hair that was cut short and rather close to his head, dark red eyes that were small, and darkened skin. He wore a gold circlet and had a rather large and long sword strapped to his back that was a purple-ish red color. He didn't need anyone to indicate this man was the leader of this company.
"I am General Eugene of the Red Flame," the leader addressed. "Now what is a human like you doing here?"
"My name is Kirito, a liaison for the Human Empire, sent by Commander Heathcliff," he returned. Not entirely a fib, but still something to draw the attention of everyone present. "Our commander had been alerted to a shift of power in Alfheim, a shift that threatens our very way of life. We know of the fairies' hatred of humans, believing your people will set your sights on our home once you have conquered all of Alfheim.
"We were also made aware of the treaty being made between the Sylph and Cait Sith. Seeing it be threatened like this, I was sent to ensure the pact went through and the Salamanders could not interfere. So I give you this warning: if you draw your swords and cut me down, an army of a million fully-trained knights along with at least four Integrity Knights will descend and wipe out the Salamander army."
His words were met with various reactions from everyone gathered. The two leaders, Sakuya and Alicia Rue, looked to Leafa and Sinon, who shook their heads at having any knowledge of this. Considering the two also told them Kirito was their sole hope in survival didn't help matters.
But Eugene smirked, replying, "You're bluffing. The Human Empire is unaware of our presence. And even if you were sent, you have crappy gear and don't even look the part of an ambassador. You don't even have an escort." That was when a dragon roar pierced the air, just when Alice landed behind Kirito.
As she dismounted, the boy claimed, "This is the Integrity Knight sent with me: Alice Synthesis Thirty. Her knowledge of your spells is vast, giving her ample power to wipe out a thousand of your soldiers with a single breath. Do you think I am bluffing now?" Alice looked to him with wide eyes, disbelieving what she was hearing. What was Kirito thinking in telling such a lie? But she did not say anything for risk of exposing this deception.
In response, Eugene proposed, "I'll take your word about the Integrity Knight. I already can tell from her presence alone she has quite the power. But I am doubtful about your skills, especially since you are a human. But I'll give you a sporting chance." Landing just a little ways away from the party, he drew his sword and said, "If you can survive my attacks for 30 seconds, I'll believe you are who you say you are."
Drawing his Night Sky Blade, Kirito replied, "Gee, how generous of you." Immediately, he saw how Eugene's eyes flicked to the Blue Rose Sword. There was no doubt in his mind he wondered why Kirito was not using two swords to fight if he possessed them. But Kirito didn't have it in him to draw Eugeo's sword, not unless he had to. If he could, he would win this battle with his own power.
Alice went over to the others, who backed away in preparation of the battle to come. That was when she heard the woman called Sakuya state, "This is bad. I have only heard legends about that sword, none of them good. I fear our human protector might be endangering himself with this fight." Alice had faith in Kirito's skills as a swordsman, but hearing that did not help her with the potential threat he now faced.
The two swordsmen stood apart, waiting for one or the other to make the first move. As the clouds moved to allow light, Eugene moved his sword slightly to send it into Kirito's eye a bit. Once he did, he charged over and swung across Kirito's neckline. The boy ducked while moving his sword to block as the blow would go to his shoulder. But rather than be stopped, Eugene's sword phased right through Kirito's and struck true. The drag from the power pushed Kirito over close to the edge, where he recovered before he fell over.
"Wh-What the hell was that?!" Leafa exclaimed.
"That sword is the Demonic Sword Gram," Alicia explained. "It has a special power that allows it to pass through a block any opponent makes with a sword or shield."
"Are you serious?" Sinon questioned. "Then how the hell is Kirito supposed to fight with that kind of handicap?" Said human sprung back up and locked blades with Eugene.
"Impressive," the commander remarked, "I didn't think a human could withstand a blow like that."
"What the hell kind of attack was that?" Kirito shouted before showing off. He tried breaking Eugene's guard, but the guy was sturdy and unmoving. It felt like Kirito was bashing against a brick wall. Not to mention any blows he could parry, if any, were so heavy he kept getting pushed off balance. Too many times he had near-misses because of the sword phasing through his own.
Backing away, Kirito had a few cuts on his sleeves as well as one on his cheek. "Damn, he's good," he muttered. Then he mentioned aloud, "Hey big red, I think your 30 seconds are up."
"I've changed my mind," Eugene responded indifferently. "I've decided to kill you anyway. Now you just have to survive until I do."
"Yeah, that figures," Kirito grumbled, before proclaiming, "but I won't go down that easy." He went in for another relentless onslaught, hoping his barrage of attacks would wear the man down.
On the sidelines, Sakuya noted, "They appear almost even. But General Eugene's sword is proving to be more than a match for this human. Poor fool."
To that, Alice stated, "Do not count Kirito out yet. He has suffered through far worse and succeeded. I daresay the general will be in for a surprise once Kirito goes all out."
"Huh? What do you mean?" Alicia asked. But the Integrity Knight said nothing else. Leafa and Sinon watched on, and the two noticed something.
"Hey, are you saying he can use Eugeo's sword too?" Leafa asked. She realized too late she let slip that she knew some things about the humans, putting her hands over her mouth.
But Alice answered, "He can, in a way you never imagined possible." They left it at that as they continued to watch.
For the most part, Sakuya was right. Eugene was faring much better thanks to his sword phasing through Kirito's. Seeing this, the boy turned to run away, being pursued by the general. As the general gloated about Kirito being a coward, the boy dug his sword into the ground and swung up, sending sand into the man's face.
While he was blinded, Kirito glanced over to Alice. By his gaze alone, she was almost taken aback by what was being conveyed. But she knew what he was planning, nodding at him to do whatever he needed. With permission given, Kirito slowly drew his other sword.
The general wiped the sand in time to see Kirito charge him with his sword in front. The man scoffed at his reckless charge, swinging his sword. Once more, it phased through Kirito's blade and traveled up to his head. This time, he would take it without a challenge.
That is until the boy blocked his sword with the blue one he had sheathed before. Kirito was able to parry the attack, knocking the general off balance himself and leaving him open to attack. With the opportunity given, Kirito made a dozen cuts across the general's armor. But with a mighty yell, Eugene batted the swords away and went for an overhead strike. Kirito stepped aside before cutting at weak points in his armor. He managed to sever his arm holding the sword before stabbing him through. The man roared as he tried to shove Kirito off, but Kirito drew back and made two slashes before coming down at Eugene's collarbone with the Blue Rose Sword. As he swung down, everyone doubted what they saw as the figure of a boy in blue with flaxen hair seemed to manifest beside Kirito. It was the last sight Eugene saw before he was cut down and exploded.
Kirito was sent back a good deal away from the explosion, stopping himself by digging his swords into the ground. His face bore scorch marks and some of the wounds from earlier were beginning to seep blood. But as he looked up, one eye closed, he saw Eugene's Remain Light blazing strongly where he struck down the man. At the base of the flame was the general's sword.
"Splendid!" Sakuya commended, her fan extended out to the fight.
"That was the most amazing battle ever!" Alicia called out enthusiastically.
The other Sylph and Cait Sith also cheered at the victory over the Salamander general, amazed at a human's tenacity. Even the Salamanders were quite moved by how the fight went. Through all the celebration, Leafa and Sinon looked at the victor. Leafa smiling brightly at the fact that her brother was as strong as he was. Sinon, on the other hand, had no words or thoughts to describe what she saw. But because of that, she had to offer her greatest respect for the boy. This Kirito was something else.
As for Alice, there had never been any doubt he would prevail. She went over and helped to heal him before helping him to his feet. Amayori came over and nuzzled Kirito, who kept trying to stop her with little success.
A little later, Sakuya used a high-level spell to revive the fallen general. With Kirito fully healed, many people now watched on as the flame faded to reveal Eugene hunched over. He picked up his sword as he rose, rotating his shoulder as he recovered from being revived.
Looking to his opponent, Eugene remarked, "You certainly have a power unlike any I have gone against, kid."
"I'll take that as a compliment," Kirito returned.
Turning to face him directly, Eugene explained, "My brother and I have no intention of invading the Human Empire, even if we had been successful in uniting the fairy races under one banner. Not with the vile woman who rules its people and harnesses a forbidden power."
"Forbidden power?" Alice questioned. "Do you mean the Synthesis Ritual?"
Acknowledging her, Eugene answered, "Something worse. But it is in conjunction with said ritual. She has undergone dark magic that not even we fairy folk would ever consider. Because of its danger, we would not enter the Human Empire as the ruler you call the Pontifex might unleash it on our people."
Then he addressed, "As you are the winner of our duel, we will respect your wishes and allow the Sylphs and Cait Sith to finish their treaty. And should you ever require the aid of the Salamanders yourself, we will grant it. But only once, and only to you."
Holding out his hand, Kirito replied, "Thanks. I'll keep it in mind down the road." Eugene smirked before taking Kirito's hand and giving it a firm shake. With his business concluded, Eugene commanded the Salamanders to return to their home. And thus, the sea of red faded away.
At that point, Sakuya addressed, "Leafa, how did you know to come to our aid so quickly? And with a human and Integrity Knight, no less."
"About that, we need to tell you something," Leafa responded. And she and Sinon went into detail about what Recon told them about the traitor in their midst and learning how he sold out their leader.
After being told this, Sakuya mused aloud, "I see. I had always noticed such behavior in Sigurd. His stunt at the square today was one such example." Looking to Alice, she said, "I must apologize for what you went through, Lady Knight. Had I been more aware, I would not have allowed him to go as far as he did."
Shaking her head, Alice assured, "No harm was done. And it is true I trespassed in your territory. I am certainly at fault for what actions I have taken in coming here. Forgive me."
"All is forgiven," Sakuya returned. "It seems our enemies were not among beings of your world but our own. The fault was mine to recognize it."
"Any ideas why Sigurd turned on you in the first place?" Kirito asked. "I know Alice is with me because a friend of ours took the fall for her. But what would Sigurd gain from selling out his own people?"
"I wager it was something Eugene's brother, Lord Mortimer, had done in a ploy to undermine me," Sakuya said in consideration. "Sigurd had always been unhappy with the way things have been among the Sylphs, and had been worried we were growing too weak for his own interests. For a man like Sigurd, power is everything."
"What would Mortimer do to curry favor with Sigurd?" Sinon questioned. "I mean, if the Sylphs fell, even he would be subject to the same rule as everyone else."
"As you know Sinon, the leaders of the fairy races have the ability to reincarnate individuals of our choosing," Sakuya explained. "I dare say Sigurd was offered something along those lines by Mortimer. He probably offered to reincarnate him as a Salamander in exchange for my head." That thought made Kirito clench his fists in anger. But the combined presence of Alice and Yui kept his temper under control.
Alice then asked, "Lady Sakuya, what is your next course of action for Sigurd? In Underworld, traitors are brought to the church for execution. But I will not impose on what you deem most appropriate for your subjects." The Sylph leader smiled at Alice's consideration.
She replied, "Execution would do little good for a man like Sigurd. People around him might use his death as an excuse to overthrow me. I do not wish to mar my rule with such an act. Nevertheless, I already have an idea." Regarding her fellow ruler, she then inquired, "Rue, would you be able to open a Moonlight Mirror back to Sylvain?"
"No problem," Alicia answered confidently. "I have my own stake in taking care of such a man."
After a couple minutes, a Moonlight Mirror was opened to Sigurd's quarters. The man himself was laid back in his chair, swirling a glass of wine and looking smug. Looking at him reminded Kirito of Raios and Humbert, the way he held himself like he owned the world. But this was Sakuya's turf, and he needed to stay out of it.
Once the connection was made, Sakuya called, "Sigurd." Her voice and presence startled the man, causing him to drop his glass and jump out of his seat in surprise. "I'm sorry, was this a bad time?" Sakuya teased. "You seemed awfully content when I came in."
"Lady Sakuya?" Sigurd gasped. "You're—"
"Alive? Yes, so I am," the Sylph leader finished. Then she said, "Oh, and General Eugene sends his regards." Sigurd was even more taken aback by how casually she regarded the Salamander general's name. That is until he looked behind her to see four people: Leafa, her partner Sinon, and the two humans that escaped him earlier today.
Knowing the jig was up, Sigurd smiled wickedly and addressed, "Well Lady Sakuya, what will it be? Will you have me executed? Put on trial before the people? Do recall, if you strip me of my title, your rule will not last very long."
"Actually, I was going to grant a little request you had made some time ago," Sakuya told him. "Since you seem so dissatisfied with how affairs are, I was going to let you do with your life as you wish." On Sigurd's side, two soldiers came into his room and apprehended him.
"What are you doing Sakuya?" Sigurd asked menacingly. "If you remove me, you won't last long."
"Don't worry about that," Sakuya assured him. "It's nothing a renegade has to worry about. You'll be free to meander the neutral territory as much as you like. But you will be unwelcome wherever you go. And don't bother coming after me, if you know what's good for you." Sigurd was about to let out a massive swear, but Sakuya had cued Alicia to cut the communication off before he could get his words out.
That was when Leafa mentioned, "Still, he's right milady. He may have been a traitor, but he was in a position to help your rule. Without him, it won't be easy."
"Well then," Sakuya addressed, "I suppose you'll need to work hard to make up for Sigurd's mistakes. I do believe you and Sinon are owed some prestige after helping thwart his coup."
As the two reeled at what they were told, Alicia added, "Couldn't agree more. Besides that, we have something we need to discuss with our human friends over here." She and Sakuya then looked to Kirito and Alice. Eying him, the Cait Sith leader asked, "Little boy, you were lying about being a liaison for the Human Empire, weren't you?"
Not bothering to hide it, Kirito admitted, "Yeah, I did lie a little bit. I knew Eugene wouldn't give a nobody like me the time of day if I didn't give him a reason to consider me a challenge. But, not all of it was untrue. We were sent here by a man named Heathcliff. And if the Commander of the Integrity Knights learned of the Salamanders conquest, he would probably send Integrity Knights here too."
"You certainly are a bold one," Sakuya remarked, holding her head. "You'd have to be to pull off a stunt like that."
"If you thought that was something, listen to when he fought a goblin leader in our home village," Alice mentioned.
That was Alicia got up close to Kirito, pushing Alice away. "Still, there's no way a normal human could beat Eugene in battle," she said, admiring him a bit. "Where did you learn those slick skills?"
"I sort of picked them up by accident," Kirito confessed.
Alicia laughed, replying, "That's so cool! You have to be the most amazing human ever. And you're not even an Integrity Knight." She then clung to his arm and hugged close to him. "Would you consider working with the Cait Sith as a mercenary?" she proposed. "You'd get three meals and a catnap."
At that point, Sakuya came up on his other side, and suggested rather seductively, "So Kirito, I was thinking we could spend some time over a meal. I know the perfect place in Sylvain." With two girls pressing against him, Kirito's face flushed red from the contact. Alice's was too, but for a whole different reason. And even Leafa and Sinon were shocked by the behavior of their leaders.
Speaking of, noticing how her friend was acting, Alicia griped, "Aw, no fair Sakuya. You're totally seducing him with those things."
"I'm seducing him?" Sakuya accused. "If you were any closer, he'd be wearing you."
"Hey girls, um…" Kirito tried to say. But he was too flustered to get any words out. Not to mention, the two didn't seem to be listening.
Luckily, Alice yanked him out of their grip, stating, "Apologies, but we have our own mission and are unable to serve either party." Sakuya looked disappointed while Alicia moaned.
After recovering, Kirito told them, "What she said is true. To be honest, I'm here in Alfheim for another reason. I'm trying to find where Oberon is."
"The Fairy King?" Sakuya wondered. "Why are you looking for him?"
"It's personal," Kirito revealed slightly, "but Oberon took someone from my world. Someone important to me." Looking to his left hand, he finished, "Someone I'm bonded to."
"Wait, what?" Alicia said quizzically. "Why would Oberon take a human from your world? He told all of us humans are dangerous and should be killed or avoided." Thinking on the matter, she mentioned, "Come to think of it, every fairy in Alfheim got a message directly from Oberon saying to kill a boy in black. That's you, isn't it?"
"It is," Alice answered. "You see, the person he took is Kirito's intended. She is a childhood friend of ours whom we were separated from on more than one occasion. The three of us and one other had an oath we made in the sacred tongue back home. And we will do whatever it takes to fulfill it."
Seeing their plight, Sakuya replied, "I understand. I will speak with the other leaders and sort out Oberon's message for you. Also, none of our forces will pursue you when you leave this place. We owe you too much to stop your journey here."
"Besides, if Oberon does have a human, and there's no reason to doubt you two, then he's a total hypocrite," Alicia pointed out.
"It gets worse than that," Leafa spoke up. "According to them, when they met Oberon in a floating castle called Aincrad, he made his intentions plain that he was going to make their friend his bride. I bet he's even trying to overwrite the blessing of the goddesses."
Sakuya then assured, "Then you have time. Oberon won't be able to overrule the blessings of higher beings. While we don't live among your kind, we know of the three goddesses. Not to mention the legend of their eventual return. It is a day of reckoning for us fairies."
"See, if the goddesses do return, every non-human is going to be slain by them," Alicia informed. "And seeing as us fairy folk aren't human, that means we'll be wiped away."
Giving a determined look, Kirito offered, "We'll prevent it. We have a stake in keeping the goddesses from coming down. They need to have vessels to exist in this world. And the vessels they inhabit may be lost when they do. We want to prevent that at all costs ourselves."
"Then it seems we have more than enough reason to ally with you," Sakuya figured. "But the only humans we can trust right now are you two. We are still wary of other humans and how they will receive us."
"We will work to bring awareness, Lady Sakuya," Alice told them, giving a short bow.
A little while later, with the sun getting closer to the horizon, the treaty between the two fairy races was established. The two leaders expressed their gratitude at the four's contributions to ensuring their treaty went through. Alice spoke once more about working on the people of Underworld so there could be peace and friendship between humans and fairies. Being unheard by the guards, Sakuya voiced that she hoped so for the sake of fairies like Leafa and Sinon.
On the matter of the two, Sakuya asked, "Leafa, what shall you do now?"
"I kind of promised to help Kirito and Alice get to the World Tree," she informed her. "I need to finish this quest with them. But I hope to come home to Sylvain after."
"Of course, you are an ambassador and my most trusted advisor now," the Sylph leader conveyed. "There will always be a home for you and those you trust."
"And what about you, Sinono?" Alicia said teasingly.
Growling only a little, Sinon replied, "I'm going with them too. It's only right that I help them put a tyrant like Oberon in his place."
"We'd love to help out too, but we'd need time to prepare our forces," Alicia explained to the party. "It's going to take us a while to get ready."
"That's okay, we can't ask for anything more of you," Kirito assured.
And with that done, the fairies of the Sylph and Cait Sith returned to their homes. The four watched them go, enjoying the sight of the orange sky. Until,
"I thought I told you no more flirting, Daddy," Yui chided.
As she popped out of his pocket, Kirito protested, "I wasn't flirting. Honest."
"When those girls were clinging to you, I noticed your heart rate increased," Yui mentioned.
"That's because I'm a guy," Kirito reasoned. "That stuff happens whenever girls get too close. The same thing happened with Ronie, and there was nothing between us."
"You better hope Mommy never finds out," Yui warned.
Before Kirito could make a fuss about Asuna hearing he was flustered around two other girls, Leafa asked, "Hey, what about Sinon and I? We're girls too. Are we a problem?"
Looking at them, Yui answered, "No, you two are fine."
"Mostly because you're my sister Leafa," Kirito added. "I've been around you for a good portion of my life. And with Sinon, I don't really consider her gender to be something of note compared to her skills with that bow."
"Good answer," Sinon remarked. "Had you said that differently, I might have used you for target practice." Kirito grimaced at the thought, making the archer smirk.
Mounting Amayori, Alice urged, "We need to get moving. If we are where we should be, we must make haste to Arun and find a place to lodge before tackling the World Tree." The others agreed, and everyone began to fly into the sky once more.
Meanwhile, up in the birdcage, Asuna was busy working on the door to find a way out. Oberon had not come to visit her the entire time since before. She figured he was trying to figure out some way to make his stupid pod work better than it had. But she was not going to just sit around and allow him to have his way. Not to mention, if Kirito really was in Alfheim, she was going to do what she could to meet him halfway. After everything that happened, she needed to help ease Kirito's burdens. And that included getting to him from where she was.
She had found some small pieces of metal in her dress that she was using to fiddle with the door mechanics. She was fiddling on the right side, trying to work out a latch or something that might cue it to open. After much trial and tribulation, she managed to hit a lever in the door. She wouldn't have found it if she hadn't looked. Pulling it, she triggered the door to open. Free at last, she stepped out of the cage and onto the branch.
Looking out to the sky below, she whispered, "Hold on Kirito. I'm coming." And she went for the tree's interior, determined to find her beloved and be reunited with her family once more.