Hey all.

Unfortunately, this story is gonna be on hiatus again for a bit. Can't exactly explain why, but it's been getting harder to get motivated to write it out and get this up. Don't get me wrong, I want to see this story finished. It's just been harder to keep going when it feels pointless to do so.

So, until such a time down the line, this will be left hanging for a while. I will get back to it when I can, but that might be a while.

Disclaimer: Reki Kawahara is the owner/author of SAO and its content. I own nothing aside from an idea.

Now then,

LINK START!

Chapter 34:

Devotion

After Eugeo left upon sealing her and their friends in ice, Alice sought some way to break free and go after him. But she didn't need to find a way, as the ice melted on its own without the Blue Rose Sword to maintain it. Thanks to that, she was able to break free as the platform slowly came down. She quickly used Thermal Elements to melt the ice enough to break free before drawing the Osmanthus Blade and using its Perfect Weapon Control to free her friends and be ready to face whoever was coming down. She thought it was going to be the Pontifex herself coming to convert her, Kirito, and Asuna. But upon seeing Chudelkin, she couldn't have been more relieved.

After her petals got her friends out of their prisons, the three banded together and overwhelmed the Prime Senator. Calling it a fight would be generous. Chudelkin was ill-prepared to face them head-on. As powerful as he was in Sacred Arts, the three of them easily countered and retaliated. He retreated rather quickly, though Kirito did manage to get his shoe despite trying to drag him back down before he could alert Quinella. Her concern for Eugeo surfaced once their enemy fled, and the three of them quickly boarded the platform to ascend, finding the Pontifex subjugating her Prime Senator, and Eugeo against the wall some distance away.

Eugeo looking away in shame, pained Alice to see. She might have been upset by what actions he took stopping them, but they all vanished upon seeing him in turmoil as he was. Beyond that, Alice didn't care about what happened before. Her whole reason for this climb was him. He was the reason she fought her old comrades. He was the reason she wanted to defy Administrator. He was the reason she struggled to move on with the next day.

And now, embracing him on the top floor, Alice would never let Eugeo suffer again. She would be his light, no matter what they faced. Because for her, he was worth everything she would go through.

After their friends banded with them, Alice let go of her beloved to face the woman that had done so many horrible things for her selfish rule. Lilac hair spilling out to the floor, fanning behind her back. A dress more akin to a night gown resting on her body in such a way that it should fall off with just a shrug, revealing a sight she wanted neither Kirito nor Eugeo to see. Bare feet, with one pushing her loyal subject face-first into the ground. And amethyst eyes that, while sweet on the surface, hid the dark part of her that was ready to show itself whenever she desired.

Quinella, the Pontifex of the Axiom Church, and the self-proclaimed ruler of Underworld.

Moving past Eugeo's declaration about real love, the Pontifex addressed, "Well, I never dreamed I would have all four of you children here at all. My, I am elated. To think you would come of your own volition."

"Don't get the wrong idea Quinella," Kirito returned in a cold tone. "You won't get your hooks in us that easily. Not when we're together."

"Ah yes, your troublesome little oath," she replied, not even bothered. "I will confess that little ditty has been quite the headache. Converting you two was quite gregarious, Numbers Thirty and Thirty-Three." Before the girls could retort, Quinella went on, "I certainly could not overcome such an oath that easily. After all, oaths made in the sacred tongue are more powerful than most people realize. Not only are they binding, but they are almost like declarations to the gods themselves. I quickly learned during those years of trying to convert you that I needed to approach the matter a little differently. I must say, looking into your memories gave me so much to work with."

Giggling, she explained, "I saw through your memories the day I had Number Seven take you from that pigsty. The declaration made to get you back no matter what. What you might not have seen was who else had been listening. And I knew, because of them, you would fulfill your promise."

Stunned, Eugeo exclaimed, "Wait, you knew about Kayaba?!"

"Knew him? Dear Eugeo, I was friends with him for nearly a century," she reminded. Then elaborated, "Seeing him, I knew he would work to have you two make it to Centoria and you would work tirelessly to make it here and become Integrity Knights, all for these little girls that did something unforgivable. But Kayaba was crafty after I converted Number Thirty-Three, taking her to Aincrad and watching after her in his little guild. Even if you hadn't broken the Taboo Index that day, I would still be missing all the pieces to convert all four of you completely. Even Thirty-Three's conversion had some… problems I could not address in time."

Seeming to realize what she meant, Asuna hazarded a guess, "You mean my latent memories before the conversion. You couldn't fully suppress them."

"Unlike the other Integrity Knights, you had something that continued to fight against the synthesis ritual," Quinella went on, sounding almost bored now. "Kayaba knew if I went after it, you would never return to the sad little girl that begged me to spare her friends. Your devotion was adorable, but a hindrance. He knew about this, and pulled you away just before I could summon you."

"Then what about me?" Alice demanded. "You told us you placed an art inside me after converting Asuna."

"A contingency," Quinella simply answered. "I knew without you being converted I might need to enact my will through you. It was far more efficient. Not to mention the art worked more slowly. I would allow it to grow inside you, like a little seedling sprouting roots. By the time you cleared Aincrad and dispelled that barrier, I knew the art was ready to seize you for myself. At least until Eugeo offered himself to it willingly."

Glancing back to Eugeo, Alice spoke with horror, "So Eugeo…? And I…?"

"Regrettably, what you did down below seems to have destroyed the art altogether," she told them. "But it matters not. With the four of you here, I can dispense with what has been a thorn in my side for far too long." Without warning, Quinella began to float into the air a good 5 mels above the floor. She crossed her legs as she rested in a sort of sitting position. Despite the appearance she gave, the four merely drew their swords to face her.

Before anyone did anything else, Alice pointed her sword at the tyrant and addressed, "Administrator, I have something to say to you. For the longest time, I had revered you as an authority of the church. But learning what I did about how you committed horrible atrocities for your own curiosity, even making promises you knew you wouldn't fulfill, I have seen the true face of the supposed ruler we bow to. I have already renounced my title as an Integrity Knight, but I now cast away your status. To me, now and forever, you are always Quinella Grace, the usurper of Underworld."

Raising Lambent Light to join with the Osmanthus Blade, Asuna pitched in, "I also cast aside your title and authority. You seek to make yourself like the goddesses, but you spare no thought to the people who suffer because of your actions. As Vice Commander of the Knights of the Blood Oath, and as swordswoman of Rulid Village, I stand to vanquish you and free this world."

Both boys raised their swords as well, but it was Kirito who proclaimed, "Quinella, no matter your reasons or intentions, the world you have created is corrupt and warped. We'll take you down, and then save not only Underworld, but Aincrad and Alfheim too. We won't let you see the next sunrise."

Silence followed these declarations. Both the heroes and ruler gazed at each other across the distance they stood. Then, silently at first, there was a giggle. A girlish, high pitched one that could only come from Quinella. But it grew in volume as she curled within herself. When she burst out laughing, she arched back, gazing at the ceiling with an almost deranged look. The four friends stayed firm, but they all couldn't fathom why Quinella was laughing as she was.

After finally settling down, she looked at them with a more composed expression, and taunted, "You all think you can defeat me so easily? That your mere words and convictions will be enough to defeat me, who has mastered so much of the world for so long? How asinine you sound."

Seeming to gather himself, Chudelkin added, "Absolutely! You four fools stand no chance against Her Holiness. Even if it was the fool Kayaba, no one could stand against Her Eminence. To challenge her is your death." Turning around, he implored, "Please, Holiness, allow me to dispense with this rabble so you need not sully your pristine visage. I will eliminate these infidels posthaste. All I ask is, for doing so, to be promised pleasure of your wonderful self when I am done, and they are killed."

Quinella seemed to contemplate on the matter, before responding, "No, not killed. I still require them. Reduce their Life to about twenty percent, then freeze them for reconditioning. Succeed, and I swear on the goddess Stacia you may do as you wish with me."

That made the clown of a man's face split wide with a grin. "Prepare yourselves traitors!" he declared, flipping until he landed on his head. "I will show you my true power with the Sacred Arts." Then he chanted, "System Caaaalll. Generrrrate Crrryogenic Element!" The way he rolled his r's seemed a bit over the top. But the four were ready.

Or so they thought. The elements didn't just manifest on Chudelkin's hands, but they even appeared on his feet. Even Alice, the best among them with Sacred Arts, couldn't generate that many in such a manner.

"If you think I am like those other casters, think again," Chudelkin teased darkly. Once the elements were formed, he clapped his hands together before commanding, "Disharge!" The elements from his hands formed a sort of blizzard that the four had to brace against. Kirito and Asuna were blinded by the generated storm, and Alice would have clenched her eyes too had it not been for Eugeo.

"Alice, we need to cut down his attack art now," he called over the howling. Alice then saw the icicle spears Chudelkin was shooting their way. She and Eugeo worked together to cut them down, easily taking them all out before they even touched them.

"Oh ho… Don't get too comfortable," Chudelkin warned. "That fancy stick won't save you forever." While still generating the blizzard, he fired more ice spears from his feet. Eugeo and Alice continued to take them out, protecting their friends behind them. Still, at the speed they were being shot at, Alice took a few hits. Luckily, the ice spears didn't penetrate her armor, only nicking her arms whenever they made contact.

She heard Eugeo cry out, seeing he was suffering worse after discarding his armor from earlier. Without hesitation, Alice jumped in front, holding her sword before her to block more of the attacks while relying on her armor to shield them. She still got a couple more cuts around her face, but nothing else.

The blizzard soon dissipated, and the group recovered. Eugeo saw the wounds on Alice from protecting him, but she smiled at him in assurance that she was alright. She then dropped it when looking back at Chudelkin.

"You certainly put up quite a farce Chudelkin," she addressed harshly, making him gasp in disbelief. "You claim to have more power than other Sacred Arts users. But even Oberon was far more imposing in his power than you are right now. And the man still died in a pathetic manner. Perhaps your death will be beyond atrocious, causing Quinella to burn your corpse once you are finished."

Enraged, Chudelkn spat, "Silence you worm! Do not compare me to that washed up has-been. I am greater than any caster in existence. I will serve Her Holiness and prove myself the only one worthy of her undying love." Once again, he chanted, "System Caaaall. Generate… Thermal… Element."

This time, flame spheres began to form on his hands and feet. Alice prepared for an attack, but the Prime Senator did something different. He widened his eyes as far as he could, and flames appeared in front of them. Alice quickly realized these were also flame elements, being summoned by his eyes. Their heat seemed to burn his eyes, making them become scorched black. And it didn't end there. The flames began to spiral around them, but Chudelkin seemed unaffected by the heat. The four braced themselves for what they would soon face.

"Behold, my greatest art...," he announced proudly. "Come forth, great djinn, and burn these fools to ash!"

The fire soon took form. It was gargantuan, towering at a comparable height to the Gleam Eyes and Queen Hive. It looked bulbous like Chudelkin used to look, with what looked like a crown sprouting horns on its head. For the finishing touch, eyes were created in the sockets in its head, unnerving the group even more.

Such a foe was fearsome, but their worry passed rather quickly. It was no different from the Dungeon Masters in Aincrad. Even the Skull Reaper was more threatening than this creature. That meant they had a chance to fight it.

But Alice realized what their challenge was, and suggested, "Kirito, Asuna, Eugeo, we can't attack the fire creature directly. Our only chance is to eliminate its caster."

Nodding in realization, Kirito figured, "We take out Chudelkin, and this battle is as good as ours."

"We can't guarantee we'll have an easy shot at him with Quinella floating nearby," Asuna pointed out. "We'll need to make an opening."

"I'll use my Memory Release to hold off the fire giant," Alice told them. "I can't do it for long, maybe ten seconds at best. While I do, the three of you need to strike Chudelkin. We'll only get one chance, so let's make it count." Her friends voiced their agreement to the plan. She might have sensed some reservation in Eugeo's compliance, but he committed to it, nonetheless.

The others dispersed with the plan set, leaving Alice in the path of the fire giant. It looked down on her with a deranged grin before leaping into the air.

Holding her sword over her head, Alice cried out, "Enhance Armament!" Her sword blade turned into a flurry of flowers that began to pour out of the hilt. She then commanded, "Spin my flowers." They then formed a spiral in front of her. The fire giant met her spiral of flowers, holding it back and shredding it at the same time. She could feel the intense heat bearing down on her, but she kept up her concentration. She had to give her friends time so they could seize the day.

From her right, she heard Eugeo cry out, "Discharge!" And he shot ice darts from his hands. She followed their trajectory to find they went for Quinella. She questioned why he would go for her. Chudelkin was their target. But when Chudelkin went to warn her, she realized why he did it. He was using the Prime Senator's fixation on Quinella against him.

As Quinella easily dealt with the art by blowing it away, she looked left to see Kirito and Asuna preparing their sword skills. The crimson glow of Kirito's Vorpal Strike alongside the silvery-white of Asuna's Linear. But as she looked on at her friends, she saw something startling.

Asuna's visage seemed to change in that moment she employed her skill. She wasn't wearing the red and white uniform of the Knights of the Blood Oath. Instead, her attire consisted of a pearl-white dress that had amethyst lines along the edges, with a breastplate on her front and armor on her hips, white gloves that went up past her elbow, straps connected to a collar not connected to the main dress itself, pearl-white boots that reached up to her thighs, and a kind of cloth in her braid crown. This new appearance made Asuna look almost heavenly.

Could this be the visage of the goddess Stacia? Alice asked herself. They knew Asuna was intended to be a vessel for the goddess. But could the power of such a deity really manifest in their friend like this, when the goddesses were meant to descend when the Dark Territory invaded?

Her train of thought ended there as Kirito and Asuna roared in unison, letting their swords launch them at the unsuspecting Prime Senator. Even as he turned to face them, their swords carried through. With a squelch, both blades penetrated the clown of a man that so boisterously claimed he could handle the four of them. The wound inflicted on him had an almost immediate effect as the fire giant began to disperse without the caster to manage it. Both of her friends wrenched their swords out of him and leaped away to create some distance. But it was hardly needed as Chudelkin, the man that had tormented them thus far, fell flat on his front and didn't move any more.

Alice reformed her sword and breathed a sigh of relief before joining with her friends as they prepared to confront Quinella once and for all. As they regrouped, Alice saw that Asuna had returned to her normal appearance. When they looked up at the Pontifex, she seemed unaffected by the loss of the Prime Senator. If anything, she appeared annoyed more than anything else.

"What a bother," she said with a frown. "It appears he indeed was all talk and no substance. Fool." With a flick of her finger, she sent the body of the man sailing towards the wall, not even giving it a second thought. "Well, now that that's out of the way, why don't we settle things?" she proposed, returning her attention to the four still standing. But then she mentioned, "I must say, I never expected to find my prize among one of my own. Had I known your true nature Thirty-Three, I would have sealed you away to keep you out of Kayaba's reach."

Perplexed, Kirito called out, "What are you talking about? How about you give the riddles a break and just be straight with us."

"Lamentable," the Pontifex responded. Then she elaborated, "Before your final strike on Chudelkin, you seemed to have tapped into your power as a vessel of the goddess. At last, after 300 years, I have Stacia's vessel within reach." The team were shocked, not to mention began to panic a little bit. "It appears this whole ordeal was worth it in the end," she continued. "But it would be such a waste to kill all of you. It would be more beneficial for all of us if you surrendered to me and became my little puppets. I would love to have the finished set."

Outraged, Alice shouted, "Stop talking about us like we are dolls! Your arrogance and inflated ego are bringing this world to ruin. You misused both of your peers, turning Aincrad into a prison when it was meant to prepare us for the invasion of the Dark Territory. And you used Oberon just to find the goddess's vessels. Don't pretend to care just to make us submit."

"Why Alice, I'm hurt," Quinella returned, sounding only slightly pained. "I thought you would have wanted to retain your oath. I would grant your wish by making all four of you proper Integrity Knights. Even you, Kirito."

Alice saw where her fixation was. Out of the four of them, only Kirito had remained untouched by her sadistic rituals and experiments. He was the only one free of her influence, while the others have had parts of their lives being part of her mission to convert them into her puppets. Perhaps that would be enough for Quinella's desire to convert them. Cardinal and Yui did claim the four of them were born liberated from the general mindset established by the Pontifex's rule. So Kirito, being the only one she hadn't sunk her claws in, would be the biggest threat.

"While I feel flattered you would consider me so highly, I think what you've done to my friends is reason enough not to listen to a word you say," Kirito retorted. "I already know my place. And it's with my sword piercing your black heart."

"I am hurt you would continue to wound me like this," Quinella replied, sounding as if she had indeed been wounded. "I thought you of all people would want to help me eliminate the minions of the Dark Territory. Why then would you continue to resist me?"

"It's simple. Your honeyed words and false concern never fazed me," the black-haired youth retorted. "Besides, I don't need you. Not really. I already know other people that are more than a match for the Dark Territory than you could ever hope to be. Like my friends here, or those I met in Aincrad. Not to mention the people I got to know back in Alfheim. People you view as if they are an atrocity."

"If you really want our help to stop the invasion, you wouldn't be trying to mess with our minds," Eugeo pitched in. "You messed with my head, not to mention Asuna's, just so we would follow your orders. Resisting you has a simple answer: you give us every reason to resist. This farce of a rule must end for everyone's sake."

As they stood ready to fight, the Pontifex seemed to sigh in resignation. "I really wish I didn't have to eliminate you," she spoke with disappointment. "But if I must, I will." She then held her hand up to the ceiling, and commanded, "System Call. Mobilize Unit Memory 001-029 and 031." Spreading her arms out, she muttered more to the incantation that none of the four were able to follow. But the tremor that followed her commands made them look around. Was she calling some sort of attack from the very building itself? Or was she doing something in the world? They couldn't tell. Until she finished with one final, chilling phrase:

"Release Recollection!"

At first, the group readied for a direct attack from Quinella herself. But then, they heard the small clattering of metal from all directions. The four friends looked around, seeing something quivering in the walls. They seemed to be vibrating against some sort of restraints. It wasn't until they increased their vibrations that they all realized what they were: Divine Objects. All of them swords of various sizes and shapes, chained to the pillars supporting the room.

Finally, after much rattling and clanking, they broke free and began to congregate in front of Quinella. They fit together like pieces of some large puzzle, forming a gigantic mass the group was horrified to see take shape. A large backbone was formed out of a couple swords with at least eight or ten forming ribs that opened and closed in a wave-like motion. Two rather large swords acted like arms with scythes on the end, and four that became the legs.

Once she had finished, Quinella pulled out a purple crystal from somewhere, and allowed it to float in her hand. The crystal looked like a rectangular prism. It then began to float from her hand towards the giant made of swords. Asuna, seeing what she was doing, sprung into action and went to try and stab the prism. But when she leaped up to stab it, she was met with one of the swords blocking her rapier. This then shoved her back to her friends, who helped her recover.

The crystal then floated to where the creature's heart would be, the swords opening as if to invite the final piece in. With a pulse of purple light, the swords flashed as they appeared to have sharpened. And now, this machination stood poised to fight the group. It then jumped up and landed between the four friends and the Pontifex.

Alice looked on in horror at what stood before her and her friends. Breathless, she spoke, "This is… It isn't possible… Perfect Weapon Control of so many Divine Objects. To have such power over thirty is impossible."

Giving a cackle at her disbelief, Quinella responded, "Dear Alice, you sell me so short. This is the power I have strived to achieve. Pure power. But it is merely a taste of the power I will one day wield. But for this, I shall dub it… the Sword Golem."

Alice heard Kirito say in a low voice, "A moving puppet made of swords."

Before too long, Quinella commanded, "Now fight, my golem. Cut them down to within an inch of their lives." On command, the Sword Golem let out something akin to a roar before it went to swipe at the group.

Alice reacted the minute it struck. She went to bring her sword up to parry its blow, like she and her friends would do to Dungeon Masters back in Aincrad. Kirito and Asuna flanked it from both sides while she kept its attention. Eugeo hadn't moved from where he stood, but it wasn't important. If they could take down this behemoth by striking at that crystal that seemed to power it, they might have a chance at Quinella.

That was if they were able to do anything to it period.

The minute the Osmanthus Blade met one of the arms of the Sword Golem, she was knocked off-balance from the sheer size and strength behind its blow. Staggered, she was unable to properly defend herself when its other arm came careening from the side right at her. Neither she nor Eugeo had time to react, and the sound of metal cutting through flesh was heard in the room. Alice felt agonizing pain as she coughed up blood, her breastplate split down the middle from the blade meeting her torso. She heard her friends clashing with the machination, but they sounded muffled and distant. She collapsed to the ground and was met by Eugeo as he rushed over to her.

Despite her senses failing her, Eugeo was as clear as day. She looked up at his worried face, memorizing every feature about him. How his flaxen hair was smooth until the ends where there were slight curls, how his eyes reminded her of a crystal-clear lake like back home, or even how his hold on her was gentle yet firm. Seeing him, being near him, it gave Alice such unspeakable joy.

Goddesses, spare him, she prayed while struggling against the loss of Life she sustained. Don't allow him to suffer as he has. Let me… Let me… But her thoughts couldn't finish as she struggled to stay awake.

Seeing the blood pooling underneath her, Eugeo pleaded that she hold on. He begged Alice not to die, that they make it out of this and show Quinella they could win against her machination. He heard Kirito and Asuna trying and failing to land any meaningful blows on the abomination. But all his concern lay with Alice. He knew, as much as he hated it, that his skill in the Sacred Arts could not help her. He didn't know what to do.

Use the dagger Eugeo! Came a voice in Eugeo's head. He looked around to try and find where the source of the voice was, but there was no one speaking to them. It couldn't have been Quinella, as she wanted it destroyed. But it was clearly a woman's.

"Did someone… speak to me?" he asked.

The voice spoke again, Use the dagger! You can use it to save her. Use the dagger on the ground below you. Hurry! I'll buy you four some time. Looking around once more, Eugeo spotted what looked like a black dot coming down from Kirito's head as he backed away from another swipe from the Sword Golem. Then, it grew, until he clearly saw it was a spider. It grew until it could be comparable to the dragons of the Integrity Knights. It hissed and raised its front legs as it contended with the Sword Golem. It skirted around the automaton and tried batting at it with its legs. A couple times, the golem was close to cutting a leg off.

Deciding to forego his confusion, Eugeo took Alice's dagger out. With a great cry, he plunged it into the floor as he was instructed. It was a good thing he did, for at that moment the Sword Golem cut off the spider's front legs. Green blood spurted from the wounds, forcing it to retreat. It used one of its other legs to strike at the purple crystal that acted as its heart, but that was severed by the blades making up its ribs.

Once Eugeo stabbed the dagger, a purple light erupted around the floor of the room. A strange script followed its appearance, encompassing the whole floor. With this occurrence, the spider seemed to sag as the Sword Golem stepped over it. And with one of its legs, it stabbed down right into the spider's body with a sickening squelch.

"Charlotte!" Kirito cried out.

With its last vestiges of life, the spider called Charlotte replied mentally, I am glad… I got… to help… you… one… last… And with another stab down into her body, her Life was gone. Her body shrank as the Sword Golem stepped back from its victim, and Kirito abandoned his sword and rushed to where the spider lay. Eugeo didn't understand why he held the spider in such high regard, but he figured there had to be a reason. Even Asuna was in tears seeing it die like it did.

But his confusion grew even more as a pillar of light erected itself near where Eugeo and Alice were. Within the light, what looked to be a door soon appeared. It opened slowly, before a petite figure stepped out. Wearing a brown cloak that looked far too big for them and wearing a cap with a tassel over ash-brown hair and having tiny glasses seated on her nose, a little girl strode into the room while carrying a scepter. Her presence, her very person, felt like both Quinella and Kayaba.

Looking up at the usurper, Cardinal proclaimed, "It is time we settled this."