Chapter Eleven: Father

12:47 P.M. 4th of the Eleventh Month, Year 380 H.E.C. – Skies above the Dark Territory

"Why aren't I catching up?"

Bercouli questioned aloud as his dragons desperately charged forth.

While he had been chasing the Dark Emperor's dragon for some time now, the distance between them just did not seem to close. Not one bit. If this were to continue, it probably would not take long until Vecta reaches the World End Altar. And were that to occur, then all would be over.

Summoning a Sacred Art for extended sight, Bercouli looked at Dark God far ahead of him as he gritted his teeth. "Can this god of darkness manipulate the life of a flying dragon?

"No way around it, eh?"

The great sword of his was then unsheathed. Lifting it above his head, Bercouli said solemnly. "Forgive me, you nameless flying dragon… Time-Splitting Sword!"

The blade lit up instantly and a divine image resembling a clock materialized. Slowly clattering with mechanic noises, a light shone across the skies and the world around Bercouli dimmed. All shades imaginable, from the crimson landscape to the colors of sky turned grey. Soon enough, the world ran backwards.

"Uragiri!"

With one war cry, Bercouli's vast sword slashed far forward and into the creature. An unnatural emerald light accompanying the assault then split the world open as the Dark Emperor's dragon shrieked out in pain before having its vast wings torn off. Its tears, blood and limps scattered around while its remains quickly fell from the skies.

"Uragiri is the sword that slashes the past." Bercouli coolly reminded himself as he wiped away the blood spilled onto his face. "Even an emperor won't be able to rewind time."

Noticing Vecta had already landed onto a nearby mountain with the unconscious Alice with him, Bercouli ordered aloud:

"If I fall, head back north and rejoin the unit!"

Bercouli then grabbed his sword in a close stance and leaped from his dragon.

Dropping off from the creature, he did not descend all the way to the ground, instead, a mere second after he had allowed himself to be pulled downwards, a large thud sounded as light appeared under his boots and he literally started running on top of the thin air in a downward spiral. The Dark God smirked contemptuously as he witnessed Bercouli began circling him. But the commander had no intention, nor the luxury to be intimidated by his aura.

Emperor Vecta…Not all Real Worlders are demons like you. I know just from looking at that Asuna girl. But you've driven the people of the land of darkness onto the battlefield, and caused not just us, but also tens of thousands of them to die senselessly. That alone proves you are utterly evil to the core….I swear on my soul I will not rest until you've felt the weight of the thousands who've perished. You must pay!

Finally reaching the position where Vecta's back faced him, Bercouli took a high stance and slashed the air in front of him. The power he muttered was a hybrid of the sword's strength, the centuries-old knowledge he had, and indeed the righteous rage possessing his heart at the moment. A lightning was then catapulted from his weapon and flew directly towards the Dark God. So shimmering was that strike, the colors around it faded for a second as it tore through the space before the evil deity. By all standards, the Underworld's mechanic for Sword Skills or Bercouli's vast Incarnation, that power was likely the greatest this realm had ever witnessed; if hit, even with the nigh infinite Life of a god, the victim would still be slain right there and then. Yet, by some dark powers indecipherable to Bercouli, or maybe the sheer speed of his target, Vecta had lost nothing more than the corner of his cape as he effortlessly dodged the attack.

While Bercouli's assault struck the ground and caused rocks to explode, more thunders were created as he quickly changed his direction in the air.

"How did he evade that?" Bercouli cursed in anger while continuing his descent towards Vecta. Finally reaching ground level, the commander gave a kick and landed heavily as his sword and armor made an impressive impact. He then swapped for a low stance once more before dashing in Vecta's direction without wasting an instance.

A horizontal slash pushed the emperor back, but it was more like Vecta had calmly glided away from his sword like a metal chess piece on ice instead of ever needing to move his feet. Nevertheless, his trajectory fitted Bercouli's plan perfectly.

"Time-Splitting Sword! Karagiri!"

A blinding, circular and whirling blade made entirely of light was flung from Bercouli's great sword, and as it penetrated the smoke screen the previous assaulted had drawn up, a dense metallic clang was heard.

Defying all logic, Bercouli's trump card failed to deal any damage. Even as the future-cutting blade, one that was literally made of emptiness, drove towards him, Vecta had remained emotionless. Instead, to Bercouli's absolute shock, Vecta stopped that blade of light in its track by holding it with his bare hands. Deafening buzzes were heard as countless sparks escaped the gaps between the deity's hands and the blade.

Whap!

It was a small but threatening smacking sound.

Clapping his hands together as he extinguished the commander's attack, Vecta languidly turned towards Bercouli. To call him a Dark God would be no overstatement. The man before Bercouli was no ordinarily being; his eyes were once a cobalt blue, but as the last sparks created by the Karagiri attack disappeared, they turned into a whirling black with hints of light in the center. The illimitable hollowness of the emperor's depth was revealed through his oculi, but that was not all. Compelled by shock as well as fear, Bercouli achieved the unachievable by looking directly into the deity's eyes.

My god! Those lights…they are not his iris, they are souls! They are the victims who have been devoured by this evil. Until the emperor is vanquished, their souls will never rest!

"You can devour another's Incarnation?" Bercouli questioned with bewilderment as Vecta remained unharmed.

The monster before Bercouli finally asked after a chuckle, "Incarnation? I see, 'Mind and Will', huh?" That voice was cold as a wind coming from an ancient tomb – inhuman and poisonous. "Your heart is like an old vintage wine; rich, thick, heavy…and with a lingering aftertaste. It's not to my taste. But perhaps good for cleansing the palate before the main course."

Vecta's own sword was then unsheathed as his grin turned into an arrogant smirk and he dramatically drew it first over his head before positioning it at his side, "Now, give me another sip."

"Don't mock me!"

Bercouli cried out as he charged forward. The first two slashes he gave were parried by Vecta's sword easily, but his third attack was an oberhaw which the emperor had to respond by changing his tactics as well. Not wasting the opening, Bercouli resumed his slashing techniques, but he soon discovered the emperor was a tactician describable only as the kind who had skillfully mastered the arts of war: Always quick to evade, but never sluggish to strike; always quick to attack, but never too eager to charge. Not to mention every time he did so was with impeccable accuracy and minimum movement. As a swordsman, Bercouli could not remember ever fighting someone so powerful, someone who despite having a mass clearly enough to be nailed to the ground, was gliding around with near uninterrupted momentum.

In spite of his obvious inferiority in experience, that his movements, therefore predictability, were always kept to a minimum awarded the Dark God the upper hand shortly after he had swiped away Bercouli's initial wave of assaults. Soon, Bercouli found himself pushed back step by step as he had not much time to counter his opponent's attacks.

Not one, not two, but at least ten continuous strikes were clearly in the emperor's favor. By the time Vecta had landed his eleventh strike, Bercouli had lost all his built-up momentum and was forced into the defensive.

But that was precisely the commander's plan.

He knew the emperor was way too cunning to be seen through, thus, he had bided his time and observed each attack closely as thrust, slash, parry, nearly every move the emperor could muster was attempted. And by doing so, Bercouli bought himself enough knowledge that his centuries-long experience and instinct could finally predict Vecta's next strike.

Before the next slash could go his way, Bercouli swung his own sword high and was just in time to block it. As the two most powerful men in the Underworld locked blades, the wondrous sword play earlier swiftly descended into a battle of brute strength.

And this, I no doubt have the edge.

Bercouli thought to himself elated as his sword began sinking into the emperor's. Notwithstanding his perfectly muscular form, it was clear Bercouli had a good deal more muscle, and of course experience in physical struggles than Vecta. The Dark God's armored shape was slowly bent while Bercouli's sword pressed ever closer to his neck. If this struggle went on for even one more second, the world would undoubtedly witness a man slaying a god as Vecta's head would be liberated from his shoulders.

Bercouli was pouring all his Incarnation into the sword he was wielding. His anger, his love, his every emotion and logic was imbued into the strike and the Time-Splitting Sword was glowing with a blinding crimson. But alas! Just before the moment Bercouli could rejoice in victory, the eerie smile on the emperor's face reemerged. The reddish light on the commander's blade gradually ebbed, and in contrast, Vecta's slender sword began flashing with a bluish light.

When the Time-Splitting Sword had completely lost its shades, the queer glow spawned from the emperor's weapon came to life and meandered towards Bercouli like an evil serpent.

The world around him faded away. An impenetrable fog surrounded Bercouli as his eyes lost the sharp focus they once held and slowly began closing.

What is this...? No, wait…what am I even doing here?

A searing pain just below his left shoulder brought Bercouli back to life and he snapped his eyes open. Instinctively, the commander leaped backwards and reconsidered his situation.

Did I really just space out during a battle?

Noticing the warm blood oozing out of his wound, he made certain that was no careless mistake. No, that was something the emperor had made possible. Only someone of that monster's magnitude could possibly envelope his mind in an abyss like so.

"You bastard, did you suck my Incarnation straight from my sword?"

The emperor merely smirked in response.

"Well this is entertaining and all, Your Majesty! But not being able to cross swords does make this a tough battle." Bercouli grinned in excitement as he prepared for a new assault.

Vecta's face quickly returned to that statue-like emotionlessness as his eyes flickered. "Hmm…that reminds me, I haven't tried this yet."

The evil deity pointed his weapon straight at his opponent, but being at least ten Mels away, Bercouli had assumed for a moment it was merely a show of strength.

He assumed wrong.

The bluish glow that had suffocated his consciousness manifested again at the tip of the Dark God's blade.

No way, not from a distance too?

Too late. Before the commander had even the time to consider fleeing, the blackish fiends had again wrapped around him and knocked out his consciousness.

An ocean of mist was all he could see while his body slumped and the mountain of evil stood still in front of him before precisely sliding his sword into the gap between his arm and his body. Smoothly and easily, Bercouli's giant limp was cut off and was flung to the ground with a heavy thud.

With his balance thrown off and pools of blood rushing down, the commander was once again brought back to attention.

Jumping even farther away from the emperor than before, Bercouli's eyes widened as he contemplated this renewed challenge.

Just having that sword pointed at me stopped my conscious thought? How could I possibly counter that?

Bercouli quickly summoned a Sacred Art to stop his bleeding, but then and there he had neither the time nor enough Sacred Resources to completely heal his severed arm.

Karagiri has no effect on him. Even if I were to use it, he would simply absorb the attack again. My other secret skill is the Memory Release Uragiri, but who knows if even this could work? He clearly is clever enough to avoid standing still in the battlefield; besides, do I even know where exactly to strike?

Before the experienced commander panicked, a gentle voice flashed across his mind:

"Have you ever felt your own death approaching?"

Approaching Bercouli was the Dark God Vecta, whose every step seemed to darken the world around him just a little bit.

Bercouli's face first twisted slightly in surprise before an appreciative smile took its place.

"Is this the place where I die, Your Holiness?"

The Pontifex was never reckless, nor emotional. There had to be a reason why she had asked him that particular question. At the time, Bercouli understood nothing. As the Lord Commander of the Integrity Knights, he was wise and experienced in his own right, but even so, he had always acknowledged that his master possessed a sort of philosophy the ordinary would never understand, not without having experienced some kind of epiphany the Pontifex had clearly had.

The Pontifex did not fear death, even if Bercouli was well aware she had done everything, prepared for every scenario to prevent it. No. Despite how twisted it was, Quinella held some kind of love in her heart, one that he may never understand wholly. Maybe she loved only herself, maybe she loved this Empire which she enjoyed total control over, or maybe, again, it was some warped, mysterious affection she retained for this world. But whatever it was, the reason the Pontifex wanted control, and craved life, was because she had something she loved.

And for the same reason, even though Bercouli did not witness her clash with Kirito, nor her death, he was certain the Pontifex died fighting and never once showed fear. There was something she loved. Maybe the reason she asked him that question, was just to know if an aloof ruler like herself had something in common with her servants. Maybe she just wanted to know if Bercouli also had something he loved.

And so he did.

Once more taking his sword to a guarding stance, Bercouli's smirk remained as he temporarily turned his attention away from the impending death to the golden knight lying on the side of their fateful battle.

Little one, I am truly sorry I wasn't able to give you the fatherly love you so desperately craved inside. After all, I don't even remember my own parents. But I do know one thing: any father would die protecting his child!

"Not that you'll ever understand that as long as you live, you monster!" Bercouli cursed as he charged again towards the living evil.

Following Sinon's advice, Asuna led the remainders of the Human Empire Army south to the ruins. Renly, having concurred in the decision to march south also, was rallying his men as tirelessly as he could, but both commanders knew it was not possible for their forces to keep running.

After an excruciating long progress and perhaps everyone's silent prayer, structures resembling temples finally greeted the exhausted troops. The knight above in the air remarked how dreadfully silent the entire area was. Neither settlements of the dark folks, nor any kind of animal lived nearby; the only thing his eyes could touch was the barren wasteland and ancient stones that had been abandoned for who knows how many winters ago.

Two main bodies made up the ruins: a pair of perfectly similar structures with large staircase-like exterior flanking a straight, perhaps one-thousand Mels long path. The two structures might have once served as temples, but despite reminiscing of pyramids, they had a flat summit fifteen Mels above ground level which rendered them more like chessboards.

Seizing the terrain as quickly as they could manage, the Human Empire Army entered that straight path in the middle in its entirety, no doubt hoping to use the limited area to recreate a battle like the one at the Eastern Gate where their foes' numerical superiority was nullified. As Asuna too positioned herself inside, the gigantic statues erected on both sides caught her attention. There were at least a hundred of them simply gazing down with their hollow, rocky eyes. And those disproportionate arms and legs which somehow made no sense in Asuna's mind gave her a few shivers.

If we fail here, this ruined temple will double as our tomb too.

"Attention! Infantries are to block the entrance, cavalry station behind and prepare to break enemy lines, wagons are to stay at the rear!"

Renly ordered immediately when all his men had entered. Within a few minutes, the army had positioned itself as commanded and all they could do now was wait.

For those who had experiences in battle, they might tell that the most soul-crushing moments were not the actual fighting, but strangely the silent tensions beforehand. At least that was how Asuna felt.

With her celestial powers, she was first to hear the moaning and rumbling of the Death Army from afar, but they needed perhaps a few more minutes before their forms could be seen. And it was these few minutes that the darkest of thoughts would find the time to invade one's mind.

Why? I mean…the soldiers beside me now are Lord Bercouli's personal choice, so I suppose they are surely the most capable. For me or the knights, we have our own reasons…but why do they remain so persistent? Why would they be willing to put down their lives for Alice or Kirito?

Asuna did not doubt their intention. Her inherent good nature ensured she was only worried for their wellbeing, and that of their families, who were certainly waiting anxiously for them to return.

Why?

"Lady Alice saved us at the Eastern Gate; we must repay that debt!"

"That's right, the Integrity Knights and the Swordsman with us now are the ones that trained us for this war, and this is our fight too!"

More conversations as these scattered among the ranks as the men too utilized what little time they had to share their thoughts with their comrades.

I see…

Asuna thought gratefully as she wiped a bit of tear from her eyes, fully appreciating their sentiments. Her happy feelings did not last long though. The undead soldiers had picked up their trail and had finally limped towards the ruins.

Hearing the ominous noises, Tiese and Ronye peeked out from Kirito's wagon with shock.

"I'm counting on you to take care of Kirito!" Asuna said calmly as she stepped forward, ready to take on the slaughtering corpses again.

"Please leave it to us, Lady Asuna!"

"We promise to protect him!"

"Even if it costs our lives!" Liena too replied.

Asuna turned back for a second with a relaxed composure. "Don't worry. We won't let the enemy advance this far."

She said it with a confident grin, but she was not sure if she said it to convince them or herself.

Relentless roaring sounded when those decaying monsters came into view. Every single soldier in the Human Empire Army was ready, but could a couple hundred soldiers really defeat a force at least ten-thousand strong? No one had a good answer for that question. And even if they did, they chose to ignore it.

One silver lining of this whole battle was perhaps the fact that the Death Army had no manipulation of the Dark Arts. Being the decaying bodies they were, they had only the raw strength for hexing and cutting.

Asuna hesitated for a moment when the vanguard began crashing into their foes.

Possessing the divine powers I do now, I should be able to withstand their attack even if I am swamped. After all, they are but lowly monsters. If it becomes necessary, perhaps I can cast a new Terraforming Art and destroy their numbers. But the problem is, I am not sure how much longer I can endure this. The Arts I casted are still hurting every fiber of my being. Even if they can't kill me, I could be bogged down and lose my strength…

Asuna exhaled to recover and let her mind visit the broken, silent Kirito at the rearguard.

No…it's alright. As long as you're still hanging on, I can keep going. This might be a world bloodier than Aincrad, we might face monsters tougher than those in the Floating Castle, but as long as you are here, I'll keep going.

With a grin, Asuna let her thoughts go wild one last time before lunging forwards.

Besides, I can't let Alice beat me at being strong for you, can I?

"Attack!"

Renly's command relieved the first lines of troops as the second line rushed to the front and repelled another wave of assault. This time, Asuna had unsheathed her sword and joined in.

Slashing, bellowing, bleeding, whatever noises or anarchy one would expect from a battlefield made their presence crystal clear as the full might of both forces locked horns. Asuna had suspected the dual-temples they were fighting in might have once been used for human sacrifices. If that were true, then the battle taking place right now had just revived their purposes. Asuna herself had to step carefully to avoid losing her balance in the pool of blood as she did earlier.

Having pierced and thrusted for who knows how many times, Asuna had already destroyed at least a hundred of those walking corpses, but there was no end in sight. Yelling with fervor, Asuna once again plunged herself into the mire.

Unbeknownst to her, a cloaked figure gradually descended from above and watched with a smile across his face. "As merciless as ever when she snaps! I'm so going to kill that woman!"

For all his pompous disgust towards fighting blade to blade with another, the Dark God Vecta evidently still enjoyed the excitement of pointing his weapon close to another's throat and having his own neck being placed so close to another's steel. The exhilaration of a sword fight could sometimes be irresistible.

After cutting off Bercouli's arm, the emperor had allowed their duel to return to that blitzing, violent exchange. Clang after clang, two great swords attempted their very best to overpower one another. Yet, despite Vecta having stopped using the mind-wrapping technique of his, Bercouli had no way to counter him. Suffering that slight setback earlier had allowed Vecta to gain experience of how the commander gained experience. Therefore, while he maintained that maximum artful swordplay, he had been able to prevent Bercouli from ever reaching the same upper hand he did some minutes ago. This entire duel had become Vecta's sadistic playground. He refused to kill the commander outright, but he kept cutting and hurting him one bit at a time. Bercouli's remaining arm, legs, torso, and quite frankly every part of his body was covered in wounds, but his tough form simply kept going on.

Finding one second of respite from the emperor's attacks, Bercouli stabbed his blade into the ground for support, only to have the opportunity to witness the emperor gliding right before him and striking such a blow his entire body was flung into the air before landing heavily on his back.

"I grow tired of this." Vecta finally said with repugnance as he wiped the blood on his sword. "Your soul is so heavy. It's too thick, and simple, as well. The only thing on your mind is killing me."

The emperor raised his sword and summoned the bluish fiends once more. "Be gone."

"Ha…don't be like that." Bercouli grinned as he leaped up narrowly in time to evade those serpents. "I've got just enough left to enjoy this!"

Just a little longer…

The commander thought to himself as he hobbled his way through the emperor's attacks, whose intention was now unmistakably one of killing.

Stepping towards the wrong direction, Bercouli seemed to struggle in even finding his target. "Huh? Where are you…where did you go?"

A dense noise could be heard as his swing hit nothing. The massive Time-Splitting Sword crashed into the blood-covered ground but the attack was not even remotely close to the emperor. Perhaps the long battle and the accumulated blood loss had finally blinded the old knight.

Vecta suspected that briefly, but he did not know that Bercouli was staying true to his masterful chess play at the moment.

The "nothingness" that Bercouli had struck at was in fact footprints. Through his apparent half-closed eyelids, the old man Vecta sneered at was chasing the oldest and blackest blood stain the emperor had left behind when he had cut his arm off. If he could find that spot, which was the only moment and place where the emperor had stood completely still, then he could finally make use of Memory Release Uragiri. The technique to slash somebody's past no matter how infinite his life or how powerful his Incarnation, was Bercouli's final card. When the sword cut through the space where another had once stood, the victim is slain under any circumstances. He unleashed it earlier to cut Vecta's dragon, but was unable to cut the emperor himself as estimating the exact position of a human body was nigh-impossible when striking something so far away, not to mention the sword's swing might kill his apprentice, who was in close proximity. But now, the challenges had complicated. Alice was nearly at the edge, so he had no fear of hurting her accidentally, but the past minutes the two of them spent in that chaotic fight meant it was even harder to know where to strike.

Bercouli kept up the delirious act while his body actually struggled to stand straight. "Wait…was it this way?"

Thirty more seconds…

To manipulate space and time, even with the three-hundred-year experiences Bercouli had had, the most he could manage was a meager ten-minute. But ten minutes was all he needed. The one skill Bercouli was especially proud of was the fact that he could keep count of time no less accurate than the most sophisticated clock. The moment when the Dark God had stood still to slice off his arm was exactly nine minutes and thirty seconds ago.

The old knight hobbled and hobbled, cowed by age and wound, until he saw a dark spot.

There! Found it!

Bercouli raised his sword, pouring literally all his willpower and Incarnation into one final blow as he counted.

579…580…581…582…!

"You are up to something, aren't you?"

The emperor appeared suddenly behind Bercouli, shocking him so much he froze for a second. Before even half an instant passed, Vecta punched right through the middle of his torso and such pressure was applied blood poured out of him like a geyser.

Lying on his back some ten Mels away, Bercouli at last gave a sigh of resignation.

Seven seconds left, but even if I have the strength to get up, he'd behead me right away…Missed my chance, eh?

The wounds he had sustained at that point was beyond any healing Art and the most dishonorable of all deaths – those in vain – neared him.

Forgive me…little Asuna, Alice.

Vecta was standing right above him, and just when he was going to take Bercouli's head, the commander noticed a lone dragon tearing across the empyrean in a vertical dive.

"Hey…now, didn't I tell you to standby?"

A spurt of azure fire came plummeting from the heavens and directly onto the emperor. Bercouli's dragon, Hoshigami, broke formation and came to his master's rescue. The inferno he unleashed from his jaws would normally tear through thousands like a hot knife cutting through butter, but Vecta had deflected it merely by raising his left hand.

The gauntleted evil was not scratched even when the blast and dragon himself had occupied his entire view. Instead, a storm of darkness was released from his hand and struck Hoshigami at his head.

That blackish wind was the Fluctlight-swaying power wielded by Vecta alone. It was with this might he had taken possession of the Dark Knights' dragon, and the same that he had rendered Knight Alice unconscious. Strangely, it was not enough to sway Hoshigami. The flying creature stayed straight on his descent, and with an expanding, bestial jaw approaching, the emperor pulled his sword before thrusting it into Hoshigami's skull. But before the dragon could be killed, he spent the last of his strength snapping his jaws shut in the hope that it would crush the emperor. The evil serpent of his sword exploded and Bercouli knew his loyal friend had just sacrificed himself; he leaped up and held his sword once more.

Hoshigami…these three seconds you have brought me will not go to waste!

The emperor tore himself away from the burning dragon and was in time only to see Bercouli, swinging the Time-Splitting Sword high and shining a divine blue that ripped a meteoric track through the air. At last, Bercouli unleashed the most powerful strike in his entire three-hundred-year tenure as an Integrity Knight at the spot Vecta had stood exactly ten minutes ago. The sword was swung, and time had been broken. A golden mist burst out as if in celebration and Bercouli could only smirk.

Slashing one's past meant that the strike was dealt directly upon one's Life with no interaction whatsoever with either Incarnation or physical protection. Therefore, Vecta's infinite Life dropped instantly to zero as the vibrant Time-Splitting Sword sliced him clean in halves.

"Uragiri is the sword that slashes the past. And I just slashed yours."

Victory.

A red line signifying where Bercouli had struck appeared and a sound of glass cracking was heard. The emperor's scream of agony was more like a distortion of space than an actual human voice. Within seconds, he then exploded into a tornado of black wind, and when that subsided, not a speck of dust was left over to indicate the emperor having ever existed at all.

Bercouli moved slowly, the rigid expression not leaving him as he stood straight one last time. The commander chanted softy in the Sacred Tongue and all the Life left in him turned into a golden vapor, floating gently towards the unconscious Alice Synthesis Thirty as it undid the emperor's Dark Art.

It was a boundless grass field. No matter where one directed his gaze, green was all one could see.

Somewhere among the vivacious colors, Alice Synthesis Thirty lay happily in total relaxation.

So warm…

The sun was not blinding, it was giving only enough heat to make one comfortable. Instead of lying on the grass directly, she could feel a large, muscular lap supporting her weight and a hand tenderly caressing her golden hair.

…Father.

At this moment, Alice felt nothing less than secured…protected…It did not matter where she was, as long as she felt that warm, gentle touch of her father, she knew all would be well.

"This feels so nice." She finally remarked with a content smile.

The old knight, Bercouli Synthesis One, smiled back.

"Yes, there is little I cherish more than being here with you."

"Father…can we stay here longer?"

"Of course."

Alice giggled. "Father…will you stay with me forever then? I don't think I can ever do without you."

She felt her hair being gently stroke again, but no answer came.

"Father?"

"I wish I could give you that too, little one. But even I can't do that. I will have to go soon, somewhere far, far away."

A sudden panic ran through the young maiden and she opened her eyes abruptly, attempting to rise from her peaceful slumber.

"Shh…it's alright."

The gentle face of her father remained as he slowly soothed her.

"It's alright, it's alright."

"Father?"

She asked again, but sensing his coolness, she allowed herself to indulge in his embrace.

"Little one, don't you ever worry. I will be away soon, I will be somewhere you never see me again, but that doesn't mean I'm not with you. Even when I'm among the stars, so long as the sun comes up and the moon continues to shine, I will always watch over you."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

The two shared another tranquil moment as Bercouli let out an audible sigh. "It amazes me how fast you've grown up.

"I remember when you were just starting, you'd stumble when you swing your sword, but nothing ever stopped you. No one liked studying the Sacred Arts, but you were always the studious one. Heh… And now…."

"Now?"

"You know, it took me a whole century to figure out how I felt about Fanatio, and it sure took her no less to do the same. Little one, that boyfriend of yours…make sure you don't waste so much time like we did, okay?"

What did Lord Bercouli really think of the Black Swordsman? Was it distrust? Was it approval? Or maybe it was just a simple appreciation that he had brought his daughter happiness.

"Oh come on…" Alice mumbled with a reddened face. "You didn't have to say it like that…I don't even know how he feels."

"Heh, don't worry, I know."

You know? You mean the fact that I don't know how Kirito feels or you know how he feels?

Alice did not ask that question.

"As your mentor and commander, I have no more lesson or order left for you. But as your father…as your father, there's so much I want to tell you. I want us to stay together like this for hours and hours as I tell you the adventures I went through. No…not the missions I was sent to do, but what few conversations I have had with the people, what wild beasts not recorded even in the Grand Library or the weird tales that have lived in Centoria for as long as I have…"

Bercouli said calmly as he gazed into the infinite landscape.

"But above all, I want to tell you this: don't spend your life only as a knight. There will be times when you are called into war, called into the most painful of battles. I know you are strong, still growing stronger, and you will survive each and every one of those challenges, but I don't want you to ever call the battlefield your home. I don't want you to be like me. Please, be happy. You don't have to erase your soul and return to your old hometown, but please find your happiness as Alice Synthesis Thirty. You have suffered far greater than you should. Live free of your old self and live contended. When the time is right, which I'm sure you will figure out yourself with that boy, you will live the lives Fanatio and I have longed for. If nothing else, I hope this will be the only gift, and the most fitting gift, I can give you as your father."

Alice did not know what to say.

For a moment, the gentle face of her father was replaced by the worried look Kirito had casted her when he had carried her all the way to the ninety fifth floor of the Central Cathedral. She could tell they held vastly different feelings when it came to her. But no matter who it was, whenever she saw their faces, she knew she could always bask in that secured, protected feeling.

"Are you happy, Father?"

"…that's a good question."

Alice looked up to him puzzled, but Bercouli remained in joyful silence.

"Yes…yes I am." He finally said. "I have done my utter best as a knight, I have served Her Holiness and the Order without fail, so in that sense, I have no regrets. It wasn't long, but at least Fanatio and I did spend the time being as happy as we could. And you, little one, I'm so glad you've become the greatest Integrity Knight, not just the most powerful, but also the most human. Only a true human can overcome Her Holiness' Right Eye Seal, only a human can understand true happiness… How I wish I could see you…see you happy in your own terms. How I wish I could see you wearing a wedding dress instead of your golden armors…"

That old man! Why does he keep making up the most embarrassing non-sense!

Whatever the case, Alice stopped paying Bercouli attention as she buried herself in thoughts. She could hear her father kept going on and on. But she really was thinking about something else.

Kirito…

She was reassured countless times that the Black Swordsman would return. Both her father and Fanatio had claimed that Kirito would come back with all his might and deliver their world from destruction. Alice certainly hoped for the same, but her thoughts at the moment were not really upon the fate of the world. No, she simply wondered curiously and perhaps also a bit shyly, if her feelings were reciprocated. She knew now that Kirito was not as inexperienced as she was in romance, as Asuna's tale would indicate. And she had to admit feeling a little depressed by it.

But still! He has done so much for me…surely my feelings cannot be so one-sided.

"Father?"

"Hmm?" Bercouli responded as he paused.

"Do you think I'm…childish, for keep thinking about him…?"

"Why you…daydreaming about a boy when your old man lectures you…" Bercouli shook his head in disbelief while Alice stuck her tongue out in a playful manner.

The old knight gave a wry smile as he patted her head softy. "A part of me wants to say no, arguing that you have matured enough to know love. But another part tells me that I should be happy you finally shook away that Integrity Knight from time to time and just be the young maiden you should. So…I guess I'd say yes. You two may be knights and heroes, or fight monsters and demons, but you are human nonetheless. Staying human…being in love, does make the world a little less complicated.

"Well, I don't think we have much time left…before I go, little one, my precious daughter…don't ever forget this: please, be happy. Don't waste your time on this earth, instead, live a fruitful and happy life."

Alice's head stung as she opened her eyes and looked up again to Bercouli. It was still that smiling, gentle face, but it seemed like he had suffered more wounds just recently.

"Uncle?"

The dutiful Integrity Knight returning, Alice's first thought then was to report to her commander.

"That's right…I was captured by the emperor's flying dragon."

But looks like it's all sorted. Uncle must have rescued me. He must have just woken me up. My god! What a crazy dream I just had!

She turned towards Bercouli again to continue her report, only to discover there were many, many more wounds on her commander than she had recognized. Neglecting the countless cuts all over his armors and body, his left arm was missing, and his torso…there was a wound so deep she literally saw right through it.

"…Uncle? Lord Bercouli?!"

The young knight shook his cold body desperately, hoping to hear even a breath from her commander. But with trembling hands, she discovered that the oldest and greatest Integrity Knight would never again open his eyes.

"It can't be…"

Pulling him into an embrace, Alice's entire body shivered uncontrollably.

"Hey, now, don't sob like that, little one." Bercouli Synthesis One gently said as he witnessed his successor crying to his body from the skies. "My time was always going to come, and now it has, that's all. Right?"

You will be fine, little one. You can make it on your own. After all, you are my only apprentice, and daughter to boot.

The world around him grew hazier by the second. After three hundred years of ceaseless service, the old knight had finally found his end. Before he put his thoughts to the world, to the war, he imagined a way to send his final thoughts somewhere beneath the crimson sky, hoping from the bottom of his heart the message would be received. He was not sure if all would be well, but the glowing form of his loyal Hoshigami beside him did provide him some solace.

"Hey, not a bad way to go, huh?"

"That's right."

A soft and feminine voice spoke behind him, to both his and the dragon's surprise.

"You have so many people who will cry for you. Consider yourself blessed."

Bercouli turned around only to see a beautiful, smiling young woman, dressed in her usual religious garb, floating nearby.

"What, you were alive all along?" Bercouli said in a slight sarcastic tone.

Quinella cracked a chuckle at his remark. "Of course not. This is the me that exists in your memory. The memories of the Administrator you've kept inside your soul."

"Hmm…I don't really get it. But I'm glad that in my memories, you are able to smile like that."

Bercouli leaped onto Hoshigami's back, playfully scratching his neck as he did so. He then extended his hand to offer the only master he had ever served a seat in front of him.

The Pontifex hesitated for a moment, but seeing his ever faithful smile, she accepted.

"Don't you resent me at all?" She asked weakly. "When I was the one who locked you in a prison of never-ending time, and robbed you of your memories over and over?"

Bercouli Synthesis One, Lord Commander of the Integrity Knights, even his name and titles were granted by that innocent looking girl sitting in front of him right now. For centuries, he had served her unquestioningly because of the Synthesis Ritual. But to command his respect and loyalty, was it really just a simple Sacred Art? He had fought all sorts of monstrosities, he had seen the anarchy that once ruled the Dark Territory, and he always arrived at the conclusion that the Pontifex was something the Human Empire needed. Besides, serving the stubborn, mysterious princess that was Quinella, was probably every knight's dream.

"I admit it got old after a while, but it was one hell of an interesting life." Bercouli paused slightly to reaffirm his thoughts. "I mean it."

Quinella was taken aback for a moment, but she was oddly at peace after hearing that. "Is that so?"

The pair of master and servant then looked towards the infinity of the heavens in unison before Hoshigami gave his last flap and carried them to a distant peace.

Far to the north where news of the two empires' reconciliation or Vecta's demise had yet to arrive, the Human Empire Army led by Fanatio continued to glare down the remainders of the Dark Forces in the Orc Chief, Lilpilin's command.

Knight Deusolbert had suggested counterattacking, but Vice Commander Fanatio dismissed his idea. For one, just under an hour ago, there was a mysterious light and sounds of explosion coming from their foes, meaning it was not unlikely they still had an ace up their sleeve, and there was no hurry to meet whatever that might be. And two, her orders were to stay on the defensive until Bercouli's forces could return and catch the Dark Forces in a pincer movement, rash actions that did not contribute to this planned attack could ruin their stratagem.

Fanatio ordered her troops to stay on high alert, but otherwise refused to engage. Not wishing to spark a conflict, yet unable to remain idle in the camps either, the vice commander forced herself on a lone stroll near the front.

The long night was over, even in the ominous valley, the blessing of Solus was coming through and a sky split between red and blue demarcating the two realms slowly became visible.

Deep beneath her tranquil surface, Fanatio were shaken to the core.

When will you come back…Lord Bercouli?

The Taboo Index did not include any law regarding the Integrity Knights' personal lives, so technically it was legal for Bercouli and her to be together whenever they wanted. Even if they wished to pursue a marriage, their knightly status was tantamount to that of a priest, so legally it could not be easier. Yet, it was an unwritten rule issued by the Pontifex that she would not allow her servants mixing duties and pleasures. Faithfully obeying, the two had refrained from so much as touching each other despite having discovered their feelings, and Bercouli was no doubt the last man who would ever contravene pontifical decrees.

When news broke that Black Swordsman Kirito had slain the Pontifex, Fanatio had mixed feelings. She was aghast that someone could ever commit such a treason, but that did free her from a centuries-long leash. Whilst they ought to have been mourning the passing of their master, Bercouli and she, not without feeling guilty, enjoyed their first night together after an infinite wait.

Lord Bercouli…please don't leave me alone behind. I will always love you, and need you.

With nothing she can do for the Raid Unit, Fanatio knelt on the dusty ground and prayed silently to the three goddesses.

Suddenly, a warm wind blew past her and she stood up just to hear a voice, his voice:

"Forgive me, Fanatio. It looks like we won't be seeing each other again… I'll leave the rest to you."

Sensing Bercouli's end far away hurt Fanatio in the most excruciating way possible. It was a shock that sent fractures throughout the dam, and then the dam broke. Fanatio's knees buckled and she covered her sobbing face.

The warm wind lingered though. At least the feeling of warmth did.

"Give our child a happy life."

Fanatio brushed her hands against her armored belly and came to a realization: there was a new life growing in her. It was one so strong, so powerful that its source had to be Bercouli.

Her grief could not subside, but her strength at least returned.

"Have no fear, Lord Bercouli." Fanatio promised between sobs before exhaling and stating with resolve. "I will raise this child to be proper. To become a proud, gallant human like his father."

Author's notes:

Here he is, the man, the myth, the legend, the absolute gigachad of Underworld - Lord Bercouli Synthesis One. All jokings aside, Bercouli has to be one of the coolest characters to have ever existed, and (save Kirito himself) he is definitely my favorite male character in SAO. Sorry it took me so long to get a new chapter up, but my life is a mess. And trying to recreate the scene from animation to writing does take some time.

I think it wasn't explained very clearly how Bercouli managed to kill Vecta in the anime, so I might have made up something myself, I hope that was good enough to do this incredible fight scene justice.

And personally, I think one of the reasons Alice lost all her stoic composure when she realized Bercouli was dead was more than the heartache of losing her father. If you remember back in chapter seven, Bercouli said "I swear, little one, I will do everything in my power to see that we win this war. You and that boy…you will definitely live." When Bercouli died protecting her, part of Alice blamed herself, which was why she truly reacted so profoundly.

Anyway, enough from me, what do you think about this chapter? Did you like the role Quinella played in all these? And that one last conversation Bercouli had with Alice? (I really liked that part) Until next time, my friends.

PS: Shoutout to TrL4w for giving me such a long and detailed comment, I really appreciate it. (The same goes for all those who read and comment, I can ask for nothing more than your support)

Playlist:
"Bercouli"
"Death Angel"
"mind and will"
"your soul is bitter and sweet"
"a holy sword in his heart"
"Death Gun"
"I'm waiting for you"
"now the time has come"