Chapter Four: The Sun Sets, the Sun Rises

By the time Alice was ready to go, an alto and thunderous horn signaled over the entire encampment. The time had come, the war had arrived and fiendish slaughters were around the corners. Notwithstanding her own feelings, Alice knew she had no choice but to leave the man she loved behind. Yes, the man she loved. At long last, she had ascertained it. That feeling of warmth she had for Kirito was more than friendship, camaraderie or naïve infatuation. It was an amalgamation of respect, gratitude, admiration and worship; the essence of it – was love.

Stepping out of the tent she had called home for but a short stretch of time, Alice looked up and saw a darkening empyrean. The power of Solus ebbed as crimson was superseded by lilac. Just as the prophecies of doom had foretold, the Three Gods of Creation very well seemed to be abandoning the people of the Human Empire to the clutches of the Dark God Vecta. The End Mountains which led to the Eastern Gate now stood eerily silent as the valley within outraced all other parts of the Empire to be the first peeling itself of all lights.

"Lady Alice," a voice broke her concentration.

The blonde knight's gaze turned forward instead of upwards, and there, she saw the owner of that voice. Her apprentice, Eldrie, had been waiting for her outside and saluted immediately upon seeing her.

"The time has come, let's head out now." Her student said calmly as they approached each other.

Eldrie…I know you might believe, and perhaps will always believe Kirito an enemy, I wish for once I could teach you something other than the sword skills I am ordered to, something different from the relentless doctrine of Holy Holiness' church. If Kirito's words could not reach you, or free you…

"Eldrie?" Alice addressed suddenly.

"What is it?" the man turned abruptly and asked.

"You have served me well up to now." Alice stated warmly as Eldrie stuttered, bewildered by her unexpected compliment. "I was truly blessed to have you by my side. You didn't choose a senior male knight like Sir Deusolbert. Instead, you wished to be trained by an amateur like me because you were concerned about my heart."

"Not at all!" Eldrie responded startled, "I could never be so insolent! It was just because I was so in awe of the splendid way you wielded your sword."

"Thanks to your support, I have been able to walk this dangerous path until today. And for that, I thank you."

"Lady Alice…" Eldrie spoke in a low voice, "Why are you speaking in the past tense? Why would you imply that your path is about to end here? I…I still haven't learned enough from you!" The young knight raised his voice, "My sword, my arts…I'm still nowhere near your level! I'll need you to train me, guide me forever and ever…"

"Integrity Knight Eldrie Synthesis Thirty One!"

"Yes, my lady!" the young knight was pulled out of his rhapsody as his teacher demanded sharply:

"Here are my final orders as your mentor: Make sure you survive. Live to see the advent of peace. Then, take them back, your memories, your true life and loved ones."

Flashes of an image then appeared in Eldrie's mind. He could not see clearly, but a silhouette or sort could be made out. Yes, that was it. His life before the Pontifex had deprived him of all his memories and emotions. But who was it? A short, hazel haired figure stood before him. Someone gentle and forbearing, someone whom he had been very closed to. He could not remember. Someone who…

Eldrie closed his eyes and reminisced, his expression grim and pained, just as Alice's when attempting to recall her own past.

I pray to the gods you will turn out differently than all the other knights, myself included. For all we know, perhaps you are the only one who can regain your past life. From the bottom of my heart, I wish you will be granted kindness, my apprentice.

With that, Alice slowly walked away and into a battle where the fate of the Human Empire, herself and Kirito will be decided.

DESTROYED AT THE LAST STAGE

– these words appeared on the vast Eastern Gate as its life declined to a critical point.

The gate had stood as long as there was history. The Goddess of Creation – Lady Stacia was said to have installed the Eastern Gate herself. After a distant and forgotten war, the gods separated the land of darkness from the Human Empire to prevent bloodshed. None knew exactly what it was made of; the gleaming surface seemed like metal, but stronger than any; the breadth suggested it could be stone with Priorities as high as Divine Objects, but not a single sort of rock known had similar properties. But now, none of that mattered, for whatever the gate was built with, it certainly would not last much longer.

West of the gate stood the Human Empire Army, a skeleton of a force compared to its foe, but standing still nonetheless. The imperial army was split into two units per Commander Bercouli's orders, the First Unit served as the front line and the Second Unit served as a reserve line. The mighty Vice-Commander Fanatio and her personal guards – the Four Whirling Blades, led the center of the First Unit. Acting as her flanks were Knight Eldrie and Knight Deusolbert, commanding her left and right respectively. Behind them was the reserve line. Knight Sheyta held the right while Knight Renly held the left. Finally, the headquarters of the battlefield – the center of the Second Unit was under Bercouli's personal mandate. The veteran knight, who now doubled as the de facto ruler of the entire Empire was to direct the coming battle and act as the last defense if the need arose. At first glance, Bercouli appeared calm as water; his slim vambraces and cuirass showcased strength, his massive sword impaling the ground composure and his piercing eyes suggested quiet clout, but even he was not undisturbed by the butchery they were about to brace. Of all the years he had served the Human Empire, none had ever been a conflict of this scale, and certainly did not involve a casualty that was to come. Was it fear? Yes and no. He trembled at the thought of their defeat, at the prospect of the downfall of his land, but he was not at all concerned with his own life. Since he had been in Her Holiness' service, his life was constantly on the line. No, his life mattered not. But his fellow knights? Bercouli's hand shifted slightly at the thought. Despite his feelings, he had sent the woman he loved to the frontline, because that was what the war required. No other knight was more qualified to lead the vanguard, so it had to be her. And his apprentice? The commander gazed up sharply to the skies; instead of leading any particular unit, she was to hover above the imperial army with her dragon and absorb all the Sacred Art resources until it was deemed ready for her to strike. The thought of his apprentice evoked fear and guilt simultaneously; he knew Alice would not fail him, even if it were to take her life – and therein lay his fear, the last thing he would want is for another knight to perish. The endless struggle against the Dark Territory had already cost too many lives. And guilt? As the commander of the Integrity Knight Order, it was he who bore the responsibility of making peace. But peace was yet to be enjoyed, least of all the young knight above him who had only recently found love. Still, he had not the luxury of indulging in his self-beratement, and with a soft sigh, the commander pushed away any distraction to the back of his mind and focused his sight on the collapsing gate.

Across the said gate, it was not only the position that was opposite to the Human Empire Army's, practically speaking, everything was in reverse. The coming war was not met with dread or depression, but rather elation and excitement. After decades of wait, their arch-nemesis' end was finally nigh. As the great Eastern Gate started cracking, roaring cheers erupted within the formation of the dark forces. At the sound of the first piece of debris hitting the ground, a wave of flags washed across the armies of the five tribes. As opposed to a meager army raised desperately at the last moments, their gargantuan forces had been readying themselves for years, all eager to butcher their rivals from across the End Mountains. So abundant they were in their legions, it was difficult to assess how their lines were arranged, if they were at all.

At the very front, ferocious screeching echoed as the Flatland Goblins and Mountain Goblins massed their troops. As attestation to their barbarity, no clear formation could be distinguished; in fact, the only way one could differentiate between the two clusters was that they were parted in the middle by the Giants. As for the rest of the forces, barely any arrangement could be detected; the Ogres, Pugilists, Dark Mages and Dark Knights were all deployed at the back, but there were no clear line of defense or command structure. While the armada busied itself with their war chants, at the rear, a colossal chariot the size of a warship awaited. The entire vehicle was painted black or built with materials reflecting no light. One might think it was awe that one would owe this vehicle, but perhaps fear would be more accurate. Despite its clear function as an impregnable fortress, its bow had also a salient ram powerful enough to piece through just about anything. On the top, only two men were visible – Dark Knight Vassago, serving as the Dark Emperor's personal guard, and of course, the Dark Emperor himself. As absolute overlord of the land of darkness, the freshly resurrected Dark God Vecta had declared his one and only command – blood and screams, flames and terror, death and destruction. As explained to his servants, the Council of the Ten Lords, his authority was to be known far and wide, he shall stop at nothing to destroy the Human Empire, and to that end, he desired but one thing – the Priestess of Light. Now, under a palace of a superstructure, Vecta sat silently spectating his army.

For those Dark Knights who had been chosen as guards on board, it was simply impossible to look towards their master without consternation. His aura was one of regality and lethality, but above all, an uneasy sense of contravention. Upon that throne a shape rested, on whose square face, the frown and wrinkled lips and sneer of cold command radiated well those authorities he wielded. Covered under layers of armors and wrapped round a silken cape was his body, the muscular build, though, could not be hidden. The sleek blonde hair and sharp features screamed of an entity so vivacious, immortality was made manifest in his form; all his features suggested a man in his prime, but his eyes were a cobalt void. Completely hollow both in soul and in emotion, all there was within was death; and as hollowness always seeks to fill itself, staring into them would mean losing one's soul.

Vecta conversed with Vassago, but his other guards dared not eavesdrop; the calmness of the Emperor and the languid manner of their Guard Captain suggested as if they were not at all concerned with the upcoming war, as if they were not part of this world. However, they had not the time to ponder over this peculiar subject as debris cascaded down the slight fracture in the Eastern Gate which had now enlarged into an enormous crack. Before either army had the opportunity to comprehend, a blinding violet light oozed from the splitting and dyed the surroundings purple. Within a second, a thunderous racket shook the valley as the light shot upward to the heavens and the indestructible Eastern Gate crumbled into bits. Some were the size of a small hill, and some were the size of sand grains, but it was evident the Eastern Gate was no more.

"Soldiers of darkness!" The Dark Emperor declared with a voice that echoed throughout his armies as he walked up to the bow. "The time you have long awaited is come. Kill all living things, take no prisoners and pillage all that you can. Lay waste to this land!"

"To war!"

"Butcher all of them!"

"Death to the Human Empire!"

Vecta remained emotionless while his soldiers screamed in exuberance, finally, deeming them ready, the Dark Emperor signaled with his arm and commanded:

"First assault group, advance!"

Alice's eyes flickered violently for several seconds, but then she forced them shut, it did not take long until she felt again an impulse to open her eyes; that process repeated many times, but each time she had managed to suppress that urge.

Behind the safety of the reserve line and hovering in the skies was Alice, she stayed there, involuntarily, and listened to the thousands screaming and dying at the front. What she wouldn't give to charge forth with her dragon and do all she could against the invasion. Had she a choice, she would bathe herself in blood if it meant saving the life of just one soldier, one comrade. To protect the Human Empire, even if it would cost her life, she would give it willingly. But fate was ever cruel to the young knight; for despite her alacrity, she must do anything but taking part in the battle. The Commander had given her strict orders: until the Sacred Arts resources she's collected are filled to the brim, she must remain there.

While Alice shackled herself in the skies, she was forced to witness the greatest massacre in known history. Exactly as Bercouli had predicted, the forces of the Dark Territory initiated the battle. A relentless tidal wave hit the three units of the front line almost simultaneously. Fanatio, Deusolbert and Eldrie had become the dam, but Alice had not a clue if they could hold. The battle-starved goblins and giants crashing into the thin but determined line of the Human Empire Army had failed to gain much ground, but their numerical superiority may soon favor the armada of darkness. If her spectating role had caused her sufferance, then the actual mission might be only steps from breaking Alice mentally.

I am prepared…

For Bercouli's stratagem to maneuver as intended, Alice must absorb all the Sacred Arts resources in the valley; those that had accumulated naturally over the myriad years, and those that would form as lives perished. Obeying the command, Alice took a deep breath and chanted silently in Sacred Tongue to begin the process. All across the abattoir where lives of men, goblins and giants were spent, crumbs of illumination rose from the corpses and rubble and ascended gently towards Alice. The power within was unfathomable, but such might came at a cost. The blonde knight's expression went from neutral, to surprise to excruciation as the Sacred Art resources gathered within her grasp slowly began to make her feel every death, see every innocent face murdered as the war went on. It was no longer mere spectating; it was as though Alice had been every participant in the battle. An unnamed soldier of the Human Empire was moments ago still strong and victorious, but next, he was cut in halves by a Giant, the agent of darkness smiled contemptuously while he enjoyed the sight of bloody bowels being scattered over the ground. Overlapping this image in her mind was more crimson gushing out of a goblin's neck; hacked to pieces by the warriors of the Human Empire, it was possible no more to ascertain whether it called the flatland or the mountains home. Hundreds more death filled her mind as Alice pressed on, adamant on accomplishing her duty.

With every addition to the death toll, the power of the Sacred Art resources mounted, as was the intensity of the images in Alice's mind. The knight and her dragon now found themselves surrounded by a golden mist, hissing noises emitted all around them as the luminous Sacred Art resources came under Alice's control. She observed carefully, maintaining her manipulation on Sacred Art resources, lest she and the dragon be consumed instead. Amayori whimpered slightly, alarmed by the unusual sight.

"It's alright…" Alice said gently.

With willpower alone, Alice ignored the abominations projected into her mind and released the reins on her dragon. Extending her hands, she allowed the amorphous energy mass into an aureate sphere. And as the glowing power poured violently, the size of it could no longer be kept within her grasp; so she lifted it upwards and let it grow exponentially. Now hovering over her, the blinding sphere released countless sparks. Deeming it ready, Alice chanted once more and a metallic liquid gradually enveloped the radiant sphere. Starting from the top, the molten cover dripped down and jacketed the would-be sun to the bottom, transforming the pool of power into an orb of a mirror now free to use as Alice will.

Alice calculated silently, she knew she had achieved what she had been ordered to do. Now, all she must do was wait; when the Dark Territory renewed their assault, she would unleash all the terrible might she wielded.

Author's notes

Playlist:

"now you're going too far"

"another bitter feeling"

"the dark emperor"

"a council of war"