Hello everyone, Slade here. Welcome back and enjoy the chapter!
Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online nor the characters; heavens forbid that destiny.
Chapter 8: [Blooming Calamity]
93rd Floor, Integrity Knights' quarters. Central Cathedral.
31st day of the 5th month ~ 13:52 hrs.
Kirito's POV.
The door closed behind me with a soft click. I stood silently in the lonely hallway, trying my best to suppress the annoyance visible on my features.
If Cardinal didn't want me in there, all she had to do was ask, I grunted, cracking my neck.
I was both irritated and intrigued by this sudden turn of events. What could have prompted Cardinal's unexpected visit to Administrator of all people? With or without the Main Process, they still were sworn enemies.
However, the longer I tried to find any possible explanation, the more I realized this was none of my business. Whatever Cardinal's reasons were, I knew for sure that the conversation between those two would be anything but pleasant. In fact, I was willing to bet that I was spared from watching them bicker back and forth.
Cardinal had also proven herself to be a trustworthy ally. As long as our interests were aligned, I saw no reason to fear or doubt her in the slightest.
I ultimately chose to silently obey Cardinal's petition and head towards the Second Training Grounds. She could later explain to me what was all of this about.
But the moment I took a single step forward…
"?"
I perked up, feeling the slight urge to stare at my left.
…
…
Nothing. It was just an empty hallway.
My frown deepened as I stared quizzically at said spot, trying to find anything remotely suspicious: a funny shadow, footsteps, a random sound, movement from the corner of my eye, the ceiling above…
Yet my search proved fruitless. There was nothing there.
In times like this, I dearly miss my "Searching" skill. I remarked wryly. It's just my worn-down mind playing tricks on me. Not a surprise after those… nightmares. Especially the one from two nights ago…
Not fond of dwelling in any of this any further, I got on my way towards the Second Training Grounds. Hopefully a nice talk with Eugeo and a decent training session would ease my mind by dinner.
As Kirito's footsteps faded the further he walked, something shifted in the hallway.
A shape of blurry outlines took form. No, that wasn't entirely correct; that would imply that this mysterious form materialized from thin air. Perhaps a more proper term would be "reveal" or "uncloak."
Yes, this figure revealed itself. It was already there for several minutes in fact.
No one, not even Cardinal or Kirito could discern it from the marble walls of the Central Cathedral.
Though, had "It" been slightly more careless, The Irregular would have realized the illusion and engaged in combat.
Such a disaster! Sixteen hours… another sixteen hours and all the preparations would be finished! Furthermore, "It" didn't have to do anything; only waiting by the shadows as the seeds of "Its" work bloomed. Had "It" not been mindful enough to keep watch on The Failure until the countdown finished, all its plans would have been discovered and thwarted!
Now that The Failure came to meet her sworn nemesis. "It" was certain; she must have discovered the missing data.
The air shifted even further as "It" seethed in rage and frustration. Sixteen hours… so close yet so far from success!
A pause… then, complete stillness.
There was nothing in the hallway; or rather, nothing out of place could be seen in the hallway.
Assumptions where a dangerous flaw that "It" shared with humanity. There was no real evidence that The Failure knew how or why those files were stolen. Perhaps "It" still had time…
No! "It" scolded "Itself". That was another assumption. It was impossible to tell for sure whether she knew or not.
It would be a gamble. "It" couldn't afford a gamble.
The situation wasn't unsalvageable though, "It" reminded "Itself." Some parts of the plan could be rushed, though the intended effects wouldn't be as effective. Yet, beggars can't be choosers. If "It" was to act, it had to be now.
The air shifted once again as the shape moved in the opposite direction Kirito took. There was more than a single way to move around the Cathedral.
As "Its" blurry form walked down passages no one else knew, "It" ran multiple calculations and estimations.
About a minute later, a number came to mind.
Two hours, "It" finally concluded.
Two hours for The Calamity.
93rd Floor, Kirito and Quinella's room. Central Cathedral.
Quinella's POV.
"What exactly did you do to The Console, Quinella?"
Brown met silver once our glares clashed. I faced my nemesis head on, stubbornly refusing to back down despite my clear disadvantage. Relenting or displaying any further vulnerability was unacceptable. Never in a thousand years I would dare to act meekly around Lyceris, consequences be damned.
"The Console?" I repeated, arching an eyebrow. "Is that what troubles you?" I sneered. "Does this really warrant my attention?"
"… You haven't changed at all, have you?" the short girl, apparently unfazed by my thin veiled insult, merely sighed. "Must I remind you of your current situation, Quinella?"
I couldn't help but wince; the memory of being thrown at the wall was still fresh on my mind.
No… I must not fear her… I reminded myself. She can't kill me, not yet.
"Jumping straight into violence again I see," I crossed my arms. "I simply do not understand why you are so worked up by it. The Console no longer can extract fluctlights from Underworld after the 'blackout,' no? Otherwise, the Irregular Unit would have left days ago. And I doubt this is about contacting the outsiders."
The girl stared at me appraisingly, shifting her weight to her other leg. "Perceptive as always, Quinella."
"I had enough time to think, Lyceris," I scoffed. "It's all I can do inside this miserable prison besides enduring your awful 'food'."
"…"
"…"
"Are you finally done?" the girl impatiently tapped her staff. "Or do you want to test my patience any further?"
"… What do you want?"
Lyceris, apparently satisfied with my compliance, finally took a step back. She then began to pace around the room as she spoke. "After the second blackout struck both of you, I had the chance to inspect The Console and its data. Although the main functions were no longer operational, I suspected that there had to be some leftovers from the outsiders that created this world. However, I was surprised when I stumbled with a lot of archives within The Console. Archives that, mind you, were originated from within Underworld," she sent me a side-glance. "Are we on the same page now?"
I narrowed my eyes. I knew exactly what she was talking about.
"My personal archives…" my expression soured. "I should have expected it from a nosy brat such as you."
After my failed attempt to duplicate my soul, which led to the accidental creation of Cardinal, I knew that it was foolish to make a second try. Therefore, I was forced to sleep for long periods of time in order to save whatever space was left on my fluctlight.
However, this led to a massive problem: data management. I still was the High Pontifex of the Human Empire, and I also needed to conduct the many experiments I had in mind. But now that I had so little space left on me, how was I supposed to carry on these tasks without saturating my memory bank?
My solution was to dump all non-vital data into a single bank of information before deleting it from my memory. This way I could have access to detailed records without compromising my own fluctlight.
Take for example the Resuscitation Experiment involving Synthesis Twenty-Eight and Twenty-Nine. Although I can perfectly recall the final results of the experiment, I cannot remember all the minor details and notes I once took without looking at my personal archives.
I also programmed the Senate to send detailed reports into The Console if an anomaly such as the Irregular Unit and his companion was detected. That way I had all kind of information in a single place other than my own memories. If I found the information mundane in nature, I just deleted it from my fluctlight to save some space.
It wasn't ideal nor it was to my liking, but it was all I could do at the time.
Unfortunately, this also meant that anyone with access to The Console could visualize in great detail all the data.
"This is how I learned the truth of the Sword Golem," Lyceris continued. "The atrocities behind all those swords were disturbing enough, but once I discovered that there was so much more inside The Console?" she twisted her expression in disgust. "I was very tempted to eliminate all of the information. I wanted to wipe it all out of existence so that no one else could use it ever again.
"However, I chose to do otherwise," she clicked her tongue in what I could only assume was self-deprecation. "I may despise your methods, but even I can't deny how valuable that information could be. Deep down, I was hoping that underneath all those atrocious experiments there was something useful. A tool, a command, a weapon… anything that could help us change the tides of war."
"Then allow me to save you the trouble, Lyceris," I huffed in disdain. "You are wasting your time."
"…"
"If such a convenient thing was at my disposal, why would I even bother with the Sword Golem?" I adjusted my position on the bed in favor of a more comfortable one as I explained. "All other experiments failed miserably, one after the other. Some produced partial results, but most just stagnated indefinitely," I shrugged. "You can check it yourself if you want, but I would rather not have you prodding on my archives."
Lyceris watched me carefully, her eyes trying to pierce through my soul given the intensity of her glare.
At last, after a prolonged silence, she replied. "Whether there is anything useful or not isn't the issue. No, my real problem is that there is missing information from your archives."
I froze at that last statement. Slowly, I leveled my gaze so I could stare directly at the girl's eyes.
"Missing?" I repeated, deliberately dragging each syllable. "What do you mean by missing, Lyceris?"
"Oh, I finally caught your attention?" the brat scoffed, but no mocking smile was present on her face. "Data within the many entries was lost recently, and I know it was deliberate," her eyes now shone with a menacing glint. "No one else but you had access to the archives, and I have reasons to believe that you chose to eliminate the information the same night you captured Kirito.
"Answer me, Quinella, what was in those files that even someone as you deleted them?"
"I don't know what the hell you are talking about." I grunted. "Delete?! Are you out of your mind?! I would never dare to destroy such valuable data regardless of the disappointing results. And the night I fought the Irregular Unit? I woke up minutes before Chudelkin knocked him unconscious!"
"Then what, you want me to believe that the blackouts conveniently destroyed everything related to the Orthinanos? Or what about the many damaged files you left on your wake? You want to make be believe that it was all an accident?!"
"… Let me be very clear with you, irksome child," I stood up slowly, taking short and heavy steps until I was a mel away from Lyceris. "I would never delete anything from my archives. The Orthinanos were a disappointing a failure, true, but the information I gathered throughout the experiment is invaluable," I wrinkled my nose. "The sole thought of deleting a single file sickens me!
"So, get this deep inside your little brain, brat," I tilted forwards until our faces were a breath away from each other. "I. NEVER. DELETED. ANYTHING."
Forgotten was the fear of painful retaliation. Caution and restraint were thrown away, while my rampaging emotions spoke through me. This girl's accusations, where did they come from? What was she looking to accomplish through them?
I was too tired to care for those answers.
If Lyceris came to annoy me, I wouldn't give her the pleasure. My archives, gone? What kind of nonsense was that? It was impossible for them to be lost unless Lyceris herself deleted them.
The child before me looked furious at me. Her hands balled into fists, trembling in restrained rage or frustration.
There was no way for me to know the result of this standoff. Would Lyceris attack me? Torture me? Leave me? I couldn't tell.
And her final choice was…
"Oh…"
Lyceris' reaction was a soft exclamation.
I was caught off guard. Was this her reaction after such heated argument? I wasn't flung into a wall, nor were my bones crushed one by one. She just stared at me with a strange sense of realization in her eyes.
"You aren't lying," she said in a whisper. "Or, at the very least, you don't know you are lying."
"?!"
"It seems I wasn't the only one who forgot a vital detail," the small girl huffed. "There is a high chance you no longer remember any of this. First was your deteriorating memory due to memory saturation, and then was the blackout that ripped some of your memories away," she scoffed. "It is very convenient, but reasonable at the same time."
That statement felt like a punch to my gut. The last time I was reminded by my partial amnesia was two nights ago when I talked with the Irregular Unit. After that day, I could recall perfectly most of the things that came to my mind.
"If you lost those memories, then I have been truly wasting my time," Lyceris spat, her mouth twisting into a grimace. "I was worried that you were hiding something dangerous, but now… now it doesn't even matter."
I couldn't move after this grim reminder. For a moment I might even have forgotten to breathe.
Did… did I truly forgot about it? I questioned myself, feeling something terrible creeping on my spine.
I was sure… absolutely sure that I never once deleted a single file from my archives. Everything in there, no matter how small or meaningless it was at a first glance, was irreplaceable for me.
To a certain degree, all that data was a shard of myself… a cluster of memories stored away safely.
Doubt began to eat me from the inside. Was Lyceris telling the truth? Some files truly went missing? Did I delete them? Why would I delete them?
But no memory came, no matter how hard I tried. I had no recollection of ever doing that.
Lyceris claimed that I eliminated the data the same day I met the Irregular Unit. However, I could perfectly recall most of what happened that night and nothing warranted the sudden deletion of the information.
Unless… I also lost those memories too…
Out of all the side effects of the anomaly, the least I was worried about was my memory loss. After spending centuries losing memories, I grew used to it. I may have convinced myself that this time was no exception, that I only forgot some minor stuff and other unimportant details…
But what if I was wrong?
What if I had forgotten vital information from my past, of my own identity?
Was I still the same Administrator from before? The same Quinella?
Yet…
And yet…!
No… I rested one of my hands atop of my chest, trying my best to calm my racing heart. There must be something else at play… there has to be! I can't accept it. I can't accept that I forgot any of this!
Desperation, or perhaps fear, forced me to think. My heart and mind refused to face such a terrible notion. If I lost the sense of self now that everything else was taken away from me…
"I must get going," Lyceris voice barely reached me. Startled, I watched the girl heading towards the door. "I won't bother you anymore, Quinella. Enjoy whatever time you have left inside this room."
"No… No! Wait, Cardinal!"
The brunette came to a halt.
"…"
"… how?"
My sworn enemy turned with an arched an eyebrow. Her silent question was very obvious.
"How do you know any of this?" I asked, struggling to keep an ounce of dignity. "What information was 'lost'? How do you know it was 'lost' to begin with? And why are you so confident that the cause was other than the blackouts?"
No matter how much I loathed Lyceris, I needed these answers.
The girl, perhaps surprised by my sudden actions, didn't reply immediately. However, after a short wait, she explained. "While I was skimming throughout the countless data, I encountered a term that picked my interest: The Orthinanos Experiment," she tilted her head forwards. "I happen to be… familiar with the current head of that family, thus I was curious about it.
"The experiment was never addressed further on the text; it was just a mere mention. However, you referenced another archive that supposedly held all the information I wanted," her tone became grimmer. "Needless to say, I never found it.
"I sought for any other mention of the Orthinanos but found none. This led me to believe that you destroyed the information," the girl huffed. "When I tried to see if it was possible to recover it, I managed to salvage some corrupted data that was disposed from The Console very recently."
The girl turned to face me fully. "Do you see why I don't think this was an accident? Someone handpicked everything related to the Orthinanos and disposed of it, and the only person that had access to The Console before me was you, Quinella."
I reflected about these new revelations silently. Then, with a newfound determination, I looked at her directly in the eye before asking: "… I want to see it."
"…"
"I want to see The Console, Cardinal."
"For what purpose?" she crossed her arms.
"This concerns me just as much as it concerns you," I clenched my right fist. "If you are correct in your assumption, then that implies something extraordinary forced me to delete that information. But if that information was lost and I wasn't the culprit… then the question is who?
"Don't be mistaken, I hate you," I felt the need to clarify my position in all of this. "I am not doing you a favor, nor I want anything from you. Someone, perhaps myself, manipulated my archives and deleted invaluable data. This is something I can't just ignore."
"And why would I allow you to even get close to The Console?" she eyed me in suspicion. "You could try and delete all other information left just to take it away from me."
I clicked my tongue. Her mistrust was understandable, but that didn't make it any less annoying.
"What difference will it make?" I twisted my mouth. "It won't recover my powers, nor will make you any weaker. Besides, I am the best chance you have of getting to the bottom of this; flawed memory or not."
My smaller counterpart mulled my words for a few seconds before turning away from me. For a moment I feared that she was going to ignore me… until she hit the ground with her staff. A second later, a new door materialized from thin air.
"Let's make it quick," she hastily went through the door. "If for whatever reason you are right, then we have more than the Final Load Test to worry about."
52nd Floor, Second Training Grounds. Central Cathedral.
15:39 hrs.
Kirito
"HAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" Eugeo roared at the top of his lungs, lunging at me with his practice sword in hand.
"Woah!" I shouted in surprise when I barely blocked the incoming attack with my own sword, pushing his away while I backpedaled to gain some distance between us. "Still have to get used to your new speed!" I said without dropping my stance.
Eugeo smirked. However, instead of a verbal reply, he resumed his assault against me with renewed force. I dodged and parried each thrust and slash he sent my way, forcing me to slowly back and circle so I won't be caught standing still. In a particular risky attack, Eugeo accidentally left his side wide open for a strike.
I immediately capitalized it by thrusting forwards, the tip of my sword threatening to land a hit on Eugeo. However, to my surprise, he closed the distance by spinning —thus rendering my attack useless— and used his body mass to push me away from him.
Shit! That strange move was not a lucky coincidence! I was barely recovering from his counterattack when, from the edge of my sight, I noticed that Eugeo was about to deliver a powerful strike with the still spinning sword.
I raised mine just in time to block the strike. However, my terrible footing and the force behind the attack made me lose my balance completely and stumble back. Don't fall, don't fall, don't fall! I repeated myself over and over while doing my best efforts to keep myself on foot. By then, Eugeo was already closing the distance and I had yet to properly stand.
He tried a second thrust, one that would be almost impossible to block, parry, or dodge in my position. In a desperate attempt, I kicked the ground with my right leg in hopes of recovering myself right in time.
"Back off!" I grunted in effort, using all the strength in my muscles to bring my sword up and deflect the incoming attack.
Somehow, it worked. With some struggle I was able to deviate the tip of Eugeo's sword in a way that it barely missed its mark. My friend, who compromised himself to that strike more than what he should, lost his balance and fell face first into the floor.
Ideally, I would have capitalized that opening to close this encounter. However, my legs failed me too and I fell right into my ass.
"Ok, I think this is a draw…" that last stunt I made left me slightly more tired than what I thought. Weakly I stood up, feeling my legs a little bit wobbly. "Though a really awful one… again."
"Ouch… yeah…" Eugeo stood up too, a hand covering his nose. "Agh. We should stop practicing with these blades."
I nodded fervently, walking up and down the training grounds of floor 52 to shake off the tingling sensation on my poor legs.
"I don't know about you, Kirito, but no matter how much we use these swords, they feel too off," Eugeo pointed at the wooden sword with disdain. "Despite that we have been using this kind of practice swords for about a year and a half, suddenly they feel really… useless."
"Yeah, I felt the very same," I stretched my body. "Looks like we can't practice without using both Blue Rose and Night Sky anymore," with a grunt, I left the wooden sword in a shelf before taking my own sword. I unsheathed it and stared at the dark edge of the blade for a couple of seconds. "Perhaps learning how to use their Perfect Weapon Control Art has something to do with it."
"That or spending a whole night of nonstop battles…"
I snickered, picking Blue Rose for my friend. "Catch!" I tossed the sheathed blade to Eugeo, who caught it up easily with a chuckle. "Huh, guess I can't surprise you with that anymore."
"Nope," he grinned.
"Too bad, I must start to be more creative…" I hummed, crossing my arms. "Speaking about creativity, that was an impressive move at the end. I thought you would finish me then and there."
Eugeo blinked in surprise. I rarely praised him in our training unless he did something interesting or cleaver. He recovered quickly, a smirk appearing on his face.
"It was something Golgorosso taught me. A 'secret move' of his."
"Ha, I should have expected it," I laughed, rubbing my chin. "I knew he taught you some cool things back in our days as valets, but never I would have thought about something like this."
"Come on, Liena must have taught you something similar."
I gave him a dry smile before denying with my head. "Liena and I spent most of the time sparring. She only got to teach me the basics of Serlut Style. If only I was talented enough…"
"Hmm? I didn't catch that last part, Kirito."
"I was just cursing that stupid Taboo Index," I quickly replied. "I could have practiced on rest days if it wasn't forbidden."
"That again…" he sighed. "How many times we have discussed this, Kirito?"
"Not enough it would seem," I gave him a short smile, before turning around to stretch my limbs. "Let's take a short break for now, that last fall of yours looked painful."
Wordlessly I began my stretching routine, but always making sure that my face was hidden from Eugeo's view. Whatever expression was currently displayed on my face, I was sure it wasn't something I wanted him to see.
Sadly, luck wasn't on my side today.
"Is everything alright, Kirito?" the sincerity in his voice made me stop mid-motion. "We barely had the chance to talk these days, and today you look… distracted."
I shook my head, taking my time to school my features. Eventually I was capable to turn around with a practiced tired smile.
"Having trouble sleeping lately, that's all," I pinched the bridge of my nose in a tad dramatic fashion. "I feel slightly drained, but nothing to worry about. Once I am free from that bothersome room, everything will improve."
"I hope so," I rose a questioning brow at the sudden change of tone from my friend. "I don't know for how much longer I can tolerate being around Administrator."
The change of subject was enough to thicken the atmosphere between us. We both had our reasons to despise the woman, but it was clear who's hatred ran deeper.
"That bad, huh?" I idly replied. "Come to think of it, how does she behave when it's your turn? Has she tried anything?"
"Not really," Eugeo crossed his arms. "She spends most of the time staring into the nothingness or trying to sleep. Her silence is unnerving to say the least…" he narrowed his eyes. "I can't help but feel my blood boiling every time I see her resting peacefully on that bed instead of a prison cell. We, and many before us, were thrown into the dungeon despite our innocence while she has a room with full commodities?!"
My hand reached for my friend's shoulder, shaking him a bit to get his attention.
"I know it is unfair, but you must remember that this is only temporal," then, with a joking smile, I added. "Unless you also wanted to throw poor little me into prison. But someone as generous and kind as my bestie wouldn't do it, right?"
Eugeo chuckled alongside me, his mood improving somewhat.
"Had you gotten into any kind of trouble, maybe I would have suggested to change the room arrangements…"
"Oh, you traitor!"
We now were laughing hard, the dark topic from before already forgotten.
"Though, I wanted to ask you something, Kirito."
"Hmm?"
"It's about Administrator," he clarified. For a second, I was worried that the atmosphere I dispelled was about to return with full force… but a single glance at the puzzled look of my friend told me otherwise. "There are times she picks up a book from that massive stack at the bed, but she always drops it after a couple of minutes. She then seems to ramble under her breath for some reason. Do you have any idea why?"
I resisted the urge to laugh aloud. If only he knew…
"She… kuh~… she really hates those books for whatever reason. She never stops bitching about them."
"Hmm? She talks with you?"
"I wouldn't call it a conversation myself," I denied with my hand. "If anything, she just complains about something just to bother me."
"Damn, looks like you have a harder time than me, Kirito," he laughed. "At least she doesn't try to bother me."
I smiled… though the mirth didn't reach my eyes.
["Did I wake you up?"]
I know I shouldn't lie to him…
["… I am sorry if I woke you up…"]
He's my best friend. I can trust him above anyone else…
["You can't sleep either, right?]
Yet…
["You want to talk for a bit?"]
This isn't a big deal. We just talk to each other. Nothing else has changed.
It all happened in a moment of vulnerability. Nightmares weren't new for me, nor was this the first time my dreams were invaded by dreadful visions from the past.
But two nights ago… it was different.
The sole reminder was enough to chill my bones and stop my heart. It had been months, perhaps even years since the last time a nightmare induced such strong feelings within me. It was so vivid… so detailed… so real…
By some miracle I didn't awoke screaming at the top of my lungs. The dreadful images lingered on my mind while I was left alone within the darkness.
I waited silently. No cry or whimper left my lips. The silent tears though…
Unfortunately, my pulse refused to calm, and my mental strain was becoming unbearable. I just couldn't close my eyes and sleep. I didn't want to return to the land of the dreams… not until those memories faded away.
Yet peace of mind eluded me. In the end, I had no option but to wait until dawn.
When I grew tired of the oppressive darkness, I conjured a small light on the tip of my fingers. That way I could read a book without disturbing my unwilling roommate. But, to my surprise, she was already awake.
Everything onwards was product of my turmoil. I was desperate to get rid of my memories that I insisted to talk with her. I didn't care who she was or the topic of our conversation as long as it distracted me from my past failures. Even if that person was someone as Administrator.
Though she was hesitant and threatened to cut our conversation short, she heeded my thin veiled pleas and talked with me until we both were exhausted. She was the first one to fall asleep on her bed, snoring quietly and peacefully. I followed soon after, free from my nightmares.
I knew I did nothing wrong. It was just a conversation between us, nothing more and nothing else. My view on her remained unchanged. My cold anger towards her was still present. My desire to get rid of the anomaly was still there.
Yet… I couldn't bring myself to tell Eugeo about it. Although the reason why I kept it as a secret eluded me, I knew a part of myself was ashamed to admit that moment of weakness was caused by a nightmare.
I was pathetic… I grimaced. Hah, not that it matters anyway. Just a couple of days more, and I will get rid of her for good. By then, I will no longer remember any of this happened in the first place.
Though I had to admit… I am glad my afternoons aren't surrounded by oppressive silence anymore.
I shook my head. This was supposed to be "my free day." If I wanted to enjoy my time with my best friend, then the last thing I should be doing is getting my thoughts on the way.
"Well, enough about her. We still got some hours before dinner," I flashed my friend a cocky grin. "What about one last round, this time using real swords?"
Eugeo perked up immediately, matching my smile with one of his. There was no need for a vocal confirmation between us.
"What are the two of you doing here?" a female voice came from behind my back, enacting predictable reactions from the two of us.
"DEAR STACIA!" "SON OF A BITCH!"
My heart did a full backflip from the sheer surprise. Yet, for some reason, I couldn't shake an odd and twisted sense of déjà vu from my mind.
Once I turned to face the voice, I immediately knew why.
"Holy fucking shit, what the fuck is wrong with female Integrators?!" I shouted in outrage, pointing an accusatory finger at the newcomer. "Do you enjoy jumping at people to scare them shitless?! What kind of twisted fetish is that?!"
A single blue orb stared back at me in irritation. "You are lucky I am in good mood today, Kirito," the woman absentmindedly pushed a blonde strand of hair that got on her vision's way. "Otherwise, I would have hit you with a stick."
"That wasn't an apology!" I insisted. "First came Edith almost giving me a heart attack, and now you too, Alice?!"
Alice Synthesis Thirty sighed, rubbing her temples. "How did my other self tolerated him?"
The question wasn't aimed at me. Rather, it went straight towards Eugeo.
"He wasn't like this before," he groaned. "Well, he has always been a handful, but that foul mouth of his is from after returning to Underworld."
"You traitorous bastard!"
Ever have enacted vengeance by shaking someone by the collar before? Let me tell you, its therapeutic.
"Enough fooling around you two," Alice split the two of us like a mother schooling her children. "I am serious though, isn't one of you supposed to be watching Administrator?"
"Oh, that…" I shrugged Alice's grasp from me. "Cardinal wanted to talk to her for whatever reason. She told me I could take the day off with Eugeo here."
"She wanted to talk with her?" she asked in confusion. "Why would she do that?"
"She never told us," Eugeo answered this time. "She just insisted that it was nothing to worry about."
"If you ask me, it is better this way," I huffed. "If it is something important, Cardinal will tell us when she is done. Otherwise, what else we are supposed to do? Watch the two of them pull each other's hair for five hours until they are willing to talk?"
Alice was about to protest, until my rhetorical question finally sunk in.
"That isn't… too farfetched," she conceded. "And you are right. If it is something worth mentioning, Cardinal will tell us. She doesn't strike me as someone that keeps secrets for no good reason."
I felt tempted to scoff at that last sentence. None of them knew about her original plan after all.
"Anyway, what about you, Alice?" Eugeo spoke up. "What brings you to the Second Training Grounds?"
"I wanted to practice for a bit," she touched the dark cloth that covered her damaged eye. "I need to get used to fight with a single eye."
Eugeo and I shared a concerned glance. Even though Alice was very nonchalant about it, and despite we both knew she wasn't exactly our childhood friend, we couldn't help but feel worried about her.
"However, now that the three of us are here, why don't we practice together?" was it my imagination, or she was giving me a very strange smile? "I never got the chance to have a proper duel with any of you after all," she drew Osmanthus with a dark grin, pointing at me with the sharp blade. "I shall begin with you."
Well, this explains the foreboding feeling. I remarked mentally after jumping in surprise. In hindsight, I should have seen this coming after the battle at the Cloudtop Garden. Regardless, can I have my sympathy back?
"You can't just forget our battle at floor 85, can you?" I sighed.
The smile on the girl's face faded, replaced by a stern expression.
"Of course not! You cheated using such lowly tactics that no one, not even the dirtiest worm, would have dared to do in front of an Integrator!"
My eyelids hung half open, something that conveyed my irritation.
"First of all, I deserve some credit of actually pulling that scheme of mine off. Secondly, I don't give a shit about honorable behavior," I clicked my tongue. "I was fighting for my and my friend's life, dammit. If I am getting called 'dirty worm' for saving our necks, then I will gladly take all insults."
"You just tainted your honor permanently and you don't care in the slightest?!" she retorted in disbelief. I only shrugged. "Just like that?!"
"Why do you assume I had honor to begin with?" that was my apathetic response. From the sidelines I heard Eugeo barely restraining a snort.
Alice was about to retort, but no words came out. She must have given up. It took her a couple of seconds before recovering.
"Then forget about your honor, what about mine?" she protested. "I was ashamed by the way you fought that day. One way or another, you owe me a match!"
I huffed, this time taking her more seriously. I was really not fond of battling against her so soon, not after all the shit I went through. Nevertheless, refusing her demands would only make her more annoying in the long run. Worst case scenario, she would chase me down all around the Cathedral asking for a "fair" fight.
So, in order to safe my future self from headaches, I had to relent.
"Okay, fine…" I sighed. "I will humor you just because I did play dirty that one time," her lips twitched upwards in a brief victorious smile. "However, let us make things a little bit more interesting. We shall use only swordplay, no Arts, no Perfect Weapon Control, no Incarnation. I also promise to not resort to the same dirty tactics. Sounds good enough?"
Alice thought for a second before agreeing quickly. "Sounds reasonable."
"… do I have a say in this?"
""Of course not.""
Alice and I marched towards the center of the training room while ignoring Eugeo's weak protests. The blonde Integrator was giving me a confident smile, perhaps excited by the prospect of finally enacting her vengeance.
Aw, look at her, she believes I will play fairly. I smiled slightly, making sure to hide my true thoughts. Sorry, Alice, but there is no way I can face you one on one without using any cheats.
Even if she lost her right eye, she was still one of the strongest foes I have fought in Underworld. Underestimating her due to this single handicap was a terrible mistake. In other words, her lost eye and my cheats didn't grant me the victory… they just evened the odds.
I can't afford to lower my guard, not even against an old friend.
"Ready?" she asked.
"Bring it on, Alice."
100th Floor, the Administrator's quarters. Central Cathedral.
15:20 hrs.
Quinella's POV.
"Anything on your side?" I asked for what must have been the hundredth time in the last hour.
"Stop asking the same question every five minutes!" I clicked my tongue at Lyceris' complains. "Nothing new has come up, just more corrupted data," she eyed me in irritation. "And what about you? Any progress on your side?"
"Don't think I can't hear your sarcasm," I felt tempted to flick her on the forehead now that we were close to each other. "For your information, I have identified more lost files. File number 289231 and 498726 can't be found."
"Are you certain?" the girl stopped tapping the windows displayed before us, turning around to face me.
"You can check it if you don't believe me," I huffed. "Now keep recovering data, I will take a look at what you have got in a minute."
"Don't order me around, Quinella," the girl dismissed the files she was watching with an aggressive gesture. Then, she began to tap multiple commands on The Console. "Now go back at work."
"I am gathering my thoughts, Lyceris," I countered. "One must always think before act, brat."
With that final sentence being uttered, the two of us settled in a tense silence. This wasn't the first, and most likely not the last, argument between us since arriving at the 100th floor. With or without the Main Process, this little brat and I will never get along.
Now that our most recent squabble was over, I stared at the enlarged window before me. Since The Console was such a small device for the two of us to operate manually, I gave Lyceris a Sacred Art that manifested The Console's contents through displays akin to the Status Window but much larger in size. This way we were able to work simultaneously without getting in the way of the other.
If my memory serves me right, file no. 289231 is about a vitality enhancement Sacred Art, I clicked my tongue. I can't recall anything about 498726. Was it due to the blackout or my small memory space?
I denied with my head. No, the reason doesn't matter. That file is missing, that is all that matters.
My hands worked on the summoned window, adding the number of those two files to my notes.
Another Sacred Art related to vitality, I mused, taking a look at the other elements of the list I had gathered so far. Those make five already, but there could be many more.
Over 70% of my list was made of files I couldn't recall their contents. However, given the multiple references written within the many files of the archive, I was capable of getting a general idea of its topic.
I mentally thanked, and praised, my ability to organize information. Had I been careless, all of this would have gone under our noses.
"This certainly wasn't a coincidence," I spoke after ten seconds of staring silently at the empty screen. "Your assessment was… on point," I grumbled, feeling a foul taste on my lips after uttering the sentence. "It is too much of a coincidence that specific files were lost. However, all of the data we have recovered seems to be unconnected…" I crossed my arms. "The Orthinanos… vitality enhancement… improved Sacred Power catalysts… something related to the Deep Freeze command… and several unidentified Sacred Arts…"
"What about the deletion?" Lyceris asked. "Do you have a better idea what happened?"
"I am certain that nothing inside those archives warranted their deletion," I grimaced. "But I can't tell for sure that it was me or someone else," I gave the girl a side-glance. "Are you done with the recovered files?"
The short girl didn't verbalize her reply; instead, she sent me the information with an agile gesture.
"You adapt pretty fast to these windows…" it was more an observation than a compliment.
"They are easy to use," she shrugged. "I can see why you created this Sacred Art."
I nodded absentmindedly before opening the many corrupted files. Most of them had their information illegible, replaced by random characters such as those found on my Status Window. Some of them had legible parts, but those were few sentences at best and a handful of words at worst.
My eyes scanned the multiple documents. When I found nothing worth collecting, I immediately dumped the file before opening a new one. One by one I gathered the few files that could potentially give us any further insight on our current problems.
Growth. Sacred. Pure. Life. Absorption. Blood. Gathering. Collecting. Orthinanos. Solus. Resources. Gems. Terraria… I bit my nail. Those seem to be the keywords I am looking for. Yet… I cliqued my tongue. I can't find what they have in common. The Orthinanos family seems to be a frequent constant in these files, but what do they have to do with the others?
I cursed under my breath, opening more files. There had to be something else that linked all of these somehow.
Memory. Data. Recollection. Light. Visual.
The more I read, the more I felt getting closer.
Forest. Exterior. Freeze. Lost. Taboo Index.
Perhaps I was thinking too hard about it. Perhaps it was me all along that deleted this information for reasons I no longer could remember. Perhaps it all was my imagination getting the best of me.
Regeneration. Giant. North. Close. Stop. Block. Dark. Vitality.
But I had to know. Something inside me begged to know.
Head. Flower. Will. Pride. Defile. Corrupt. Disgrace.
I paused briefly, my eyes feeling sore. My gaze fell on the border of the main window:
31st day of the 5th month ~ 16:01
More than half an hour looking at these corrupted files, I exhaled tiredly, swiping another file away. I should tell the brat to switch places, otherwise…
A pause, abrupt and lengthy. Nothing dramatic happened; I just opened a new corrupted file. The document was like the many others I had inspected thus far, having only a few words that could be understood among the sea of strange data.
Yet I found two new terms. Normally I would have dismissed them since it was the first time they popped up.
However, as I stared at them, I felt a memory resurface from down below. It was hazy, a mere blur that many would have disregarded. But I insisted even further, pressing through the fog.
Gigas Cedar…
Calamity…
"These two…" I muttered, isolating those terms from the others. "They are related somehow."
I began to stare at them unblinkingly, trying my dearest to remember what importance these two had. I might have forced myself too much, because at one point I began to feel disoriented, lightheaded.
I shook my head, raising a hand to my temples. The dizziness didn't decrease. If anything, the sensation grew stronger.
What is happening? I stumbled on my place. Why does everything seem to be… moving…?
"Ugh…" to my surprise, I heard a groan coming from Lyceris. The short girl was supporting most of her weight in her staff, like she had suddenly lost her balance. If I had to put it in one word, she looked… disoriented.
Wait… I widened my eyes. She feels it too?
Come to think of it, there was something else that I hadn't noticed until now. It was faint and easy to ignore. However, inside such an empty floor, it stood out once you were aware of it.
A low and deep rumble… one that came from below…
52nd Floor, Second Training Grounds. Central Cathedral.
15:59 hrs.
Kirito
Alice attacks came like a thunderstorm. I was forced to block, dodge, and parry nonstop since our match began. It was a miracle I wasn't overwhelmed by now.
As I guessed, Alice was just as fierce as ever despite losing her right eye. Her movements where a bit more sluggish and unrefined, something that gave me enough opportunity to dance around the battlefield without suffering any major injury. Yet I was reached by her blade more than once. The only reason I hadn't suffered a worse wound was due to the special robes Eugeo and I "borrowed" from the Vault a week ago.
Otherwise, the match would have been over a while ago.
My reaction time is better than hers, but that won't help me if she is way faster than me! I blocked a new attack. Nor I am as strong as her. Eugeo might be capable of matching her… but not me.
I couldn't use my Incarnation Cloak, since it would rat me out that I was cheating. Therefore, I had to fight her without enhancing my basic parameters.
But there were more ways in which I could use Incarnation.
"Impressive," she said after we separated from a vicious clash. "But you will need to do more if you want to defeat me, Kirito."
"More?" I gave her a tired smile. "Heh… if you insist…"
This time I took the initiative. I ran at her, careful to not activate a Sword Skill by accident or reflex. She was no trash mob I could surprise with a Vorpal Strike.
I stroke three times, Alice blocking and absorbing all hits. She then swung her sword in a counterattack, aiming to my shoulder.
I sidestepped, thrusting Night Sky forward. The blonde knight took a step back, evading the attack.
Normally, a sword as heavy as Night Sky could only be thrusted this way once. Such attack was dangerous since it left plenty of opportunities to punish the greedy move. Alice wasn't going to take it easy on me. The moment she dodged my thrust, she was ready to make her counter and end the duel immediately.
However, before she could properly aim her sword, she widened her eyes when a second powerful thrust came her way.
"Aincrad Style! Quadruple Pain!"
No matter how much I pretended to be one, I knew I wasn't a great swordsman. Such role would fit people such as Suguha, Alice, or Liena. But if I was good at something, it was at surviving anything thrown at me.
And I wasn't above cheating to do so. Besides, as long as the cheat is not exposed, it is "fair" game.
A rapier's Sword Skill. Normally it would be impossible to trigger the ability using a one-handed sword. However, in a place such as Underworld, the lines between impossible and possible blurred more frequently than not.
Alice wasn't ready to receive such an impossible and ridiculous barrage of strikes proper of a rapier, having trouble to dodge or block all the four hits. Once the last thrust connected with Osmanthus, Alice stumbled back due to the immobilizing properties of the move.
I have seen this attack countless times. I can imagine it even with my eyes closed, so simulating this technique through Incarnation is piece of cake!
Before my body was claimed by the post-motion of the move, I quickly concatenated the next attack: Rage Spike!
I closed the distance in a single jump. Alice backpedaled just the necessary to dodge the upward swing.
I gave no quarter.
Vertical!
The sword fell, Osmanthus blocking at the last possible second. She then tried to deliver a horizontal hit. Slant! I successfully deviated the strike.
I must retreat! Using Incarnation to connect four Sword Skills in quick succession is awfully tiring. Not to mention that Quadruple Pain isn't meant for a weapon such as Night Sky.
I can't win in this assault. If I don't get some breathing space, the post-motion will kick in!
Come on… just one more skill…
Vertical Arc!
I was able to pull off a fifth skill, though it was the sloppiest Vertical Arc of my whole life. However, it was enough to force my opponent backwards.
Fortunately, I wasn't too exposed when the post-motion caught me. Alice was still trying to recover her balance when it wore off, giving me enough time to raise my guard. To my surprise, she chose to cease the assault at the moment, giving us some respite.
"Kirito, that was amazing!" Eugeo cheered from the sidelines. "Five techniques, one after another, and one that I never saw before!"
"Heh… what can I say… I do have some cool tricks under my sleeve," by that I meant cheats; not that those two would ever know.
"I will admit, that was a terrifying combination," Alice said with a newfound, but undeserved, respect. "I knew you were stronger than what you claimed to be."
I nervously chuckled.
"I just surprised you," I couldn't help but smirk. "Shall we continue?"
"Naturally."
"Then let's wrap this up, shall we?"
Alice nodded, raising Osmanthus once more.
Ha, I did end up getting excited, I smiled, getting into position. Bah! Who cares? If she won't pester me anymore, I see no harm in enjoying this fight!
Alice and I dashed simultaneously. She raised her sword above her head, while I prepared to use a horizontal Sword Skill.
The distance between us vanished. At the last possible moment, I switched my posture to use a katana's Sword Skill to take her by surprise for a second time. Whether I succeeded or not, I felt that this was the end of the duel.
However, none of us got the chance to see a rightful end to this match.
When we were about five meters from each other, the floor beneath began to shake. I ignored it at first, believing it was only my imagination. But when Alice was about to get in range of my attack, the whole ground shook.
"Whoa-whoa-whoa!" I tried to recover my footing, but it was too late. Luckily, Alice and I managed to deviate our swords from causing any potential harm to the other.
"Look out!"
OH SHIT!
Though our weapons missed entirely their marks —which was a good thing—, be it by coincidence or my bad-but-not-too-shitty luck, our sudden loss of balance made both of us collide headfirst against each other.
"Guh!" "Fuck!"
We fell on our buts, each of us rubbing the place where we struck each other.
"GOD! DAMMIT!" I cursed in the ground, holding my head with both arms. I saw Eugeo running at us from the corner of my eyes. He was alarmed, and he was also stumbling while walking.
"Are you alright?" he asked once he was by our side. "What happen-…?" when he was about to ask, a low rumble was heard many floors beneath of us, perhaps at ground level. The floor shook even more intensely than before, making hard for us to stand from the ground. "Whoa! What is happening? Is this an earthquake?"
I grunted, forcing myself to stand. My head was throbbing painfully, and everything was dizzy at times.
"While you battled Chudelkin, Administrator mentioned that she forbade earthquakes on Centoria years ago." I succeeded in getting on my feet, thanks to a little bit of Eugeo's help. "Unless Cardinal deleted that instruction, this shouldn't be possible."
The rumbling quickly escalated in intensity, making it difficult to stand properly.
"Then what is it?" Eugeo stumbled to help Alice, who was in no better situation than I.
"Volcanoes from Southacroith!" she replied, holding Eugeo's arm tightly. "They can cause earthquakes even here, in Centoria. Though I never felt one of such magnitude!"
Eugeo helped the two of us move towards the closest wall, which was the one closest to the exit. We had to take short but firm steps to prevent us from falling a second time.
"This earthquake just becomes stronger each second that passes by," muttered Alice, her back pressed firmly against the wall. "I never felt something like this…"
"Guys, do you hear that?"
"Hear what, Eugeo?"
"That sound! It is… as if rock was breaking down!"
We all took our time to listen. Although the tremor was still raging on, I could vaguely hear something. It was faint, perhaps too far away from our current floor.
"I can hear it," Alice spoke, "and it only seems to get louder."
She was right, the noise seemingly grew alongside the tremors. That was a really bad omen.
"W-we have to leave…" I widened my eyes. "This is not normal. Whatever this is… the Cathedral might just be falling down!"
Without waiting for them, I moved to the exit of the arena as fast as I could without falling down. "Come on! Hurry!" I swung the door open, stumbling towards the elevator. "We must go!"
Though they didn't give me vocal confirmation, I heard Eugeo's and Alice's footsteps right behind me. We walked through the hallways, always keeping as close to a surface to balance us.
A minute later, we found ourselves right in front of the lift. On top of the platform was Operator, a poor nameless girl that was given the Sacred Task of moving up and down this lift for all eternity. Her expression, which usually was indifferent and passionless, was now riddled in fear and confusion as she stood close to the green crystal at the center of her platform.
When Operator noticed our arrival, some hope crept into her expression.
"L-lady Integrity Knight…" the poor girl raised her voice when we stepped in. "W-w-which f-floor do you… you w-want to… want to g-g-go?"
All of us frowned. This girl wasn't standing before us in an act of bravery. In reality, she was chained metaphorically to this elevator until someone else freed her from her Sacred Task.
"We must go downstairs. If push comes to shove, Cardinal will most likely take everyone from the upper floors outside by using her doors." Alice reasoned. "We must alert whoever is downstairs to get outside as fast as possible!"
Administrator is with Cardinal too, I mused. I shouldn't worry about her at the moment. Right now, we have to prioritize our…
"NO!" Eugeo practically roared, startling all of us. He noticed his outburst a second later, wincing in his place. "I am sorry, but I can't go downstairs."
I raised a questioning eyebrow, what could possibly be at those floors that might…
Oh, no…
"You left her in your room?" I asked my friend, who nodded gravely.
"I was not going to risk bringing her to the Training Grounds."
I bit my lip hard. Cardinal would prioritize everyone at the upper floors, but if she had no way knowing that Alice Zuberg was still in Eugeo's quarters…
"I am coming with you," I said in a heartbeat.
"Me too," Alice quickly agreed, turning to address the scared girl. "Operator, we need your assistance."
"H-huh?"
"To floor 85, please."
"M-m-ma'am?" she stuttered. "A-are you sure?"
"Don't worry," she moved close to the girl, giving her a reassuring smile. "We will keep you safe."
The girl nodded numbly. "U-understood. As… as you wish."
After reciting a short Sacred Art, the elevator began to slowly ascent.
The rumbling around us worsened, the sound echoing through the elevator. Operator was doing her best to keep herself composed and focused, but she was at the brink of losing the edge any time soon.
Using an elevator under these circumstances isn't ideal at all… I frowned. I would feel safer using stairs, but time is on the essence here.
"What is going on with all this noise?" Eugeo complained. "Agh, my ears…"
I winced too. The faint noise from before was now blasting our ears with unrelenting force. The close nature of the elevator certainly wasn't helping either.
Yet…
"Wait…"
The noise grew louder, sure. But there was something else.
"Guys," I turned to face my two childhood friends. "Do you hear it too?"
Eugeo, still covering his ears to protect them from the sound, stared at me in confusion. Alice, on the other hand, frowned.
I nervously stared around us, looking at the marble walls that encased the elevator.
"It is not coming from below."
""?!""
The loud cacophony wasn't coming from underneath us. At first it was, but not anymore.
Loud rumbles echoed ominously…
A second later, I jumped backwards in panic, shouting at the top of my lungs: "Get away from the walls!"
""!""
Not a second later, there was a deafening boom.
An explosion. It happened so fast and without a flash or shockwave. Suddenly, the wall at my right burst open.
I fear to think what would have happened had I noticed it a second later.
"Watch out!" I drew Night Sky in record time, using my Incarnation to increase my speed and strength briefly. Then, with fast swipes, I was able to destroy all flying debris that were about to hit us.
But I wasn't ready for what came next.
That explosion wasn't caused by the combustion of gas or a Sacred Art. No, it was caused by a physical blow. Hence there was no spark nor blinding light following the loud boom.
But something else came out the wall, something that was heading towards Eugeo.
"Eugeo!" Alice cried in surprise, unleashing her gale of deathly flowers. Whatever that was about to strike our friend was destroyed the second her Perfect Weapon Control came into contact with it.
We all paused. The elevator was static too since Operator lost focus on her task and was currently crying in surprise, shock, and panic.
I took a wary step towards the remains of whatever came from out the wall. The thing was jet black and purple in color, and a pink substance was slowly dripping from the many cuts made by the flowers.
Although the object was terribly mangled by Alice's attack, I recognized what it was.
"Is that… a tree branch?"
100th Floor, the Administrator's quarters. Central Cathedral.
16:03 hrs.
Quinella's POV.
"An earthquake, now of all times? We just reopened the Cathedral to all nonessential personnel yesterday!" I heard multiple inputs being inserted into a window as Lyceris grumbled. "Strange… that old command of yours is still on place… If that's so, then this must be…"
Her voice began to trail as she seemingly inspected something from her side. I, however, didn't bother to spare a glance to her.
No, my full focus was back at The Console.
Gigas Cedar. Calamity.
Those words were still echoing inside my head.
A particularly vicious vibration shook me from my spot, making me stumble briefly. Now that my focus was broken, I turned towards Lyceris in wrath.
"Make them stop already!" I roared, trying my best to not lose my balance and fall. "I am trying to think here!"
"I… am… trying!" retorted the brat. "Don't act like you are doing something helpful, Quinella! Make yourself useful and prepare a Sacred Art to stop the earthquake once I narrow down the cause!"
"That kind of information is also stored inThe Console," I clicked my tongue. "This isn't the first time I had to deal with those bothersome volcanoes. All you have to do is hurry up so I can peacefully figure out what the hell happened to all this data! Now do your damn job and let me think!"
"Why you…!"
Another brutal shockwave stuck the Central Cathedral, making it infinitely harder to stand properly.
"Lyceris!"
"Shut up and let me work in peace!" the small brat was practically smashing the many buttons on her screen. "I am trying, but no matter what I do I can't find…"
She fell silent. It was so sudden that even I set aside my annoyance. Something was wrong… horribly wrong.
My guess proved to be on point when she turned to face me. Her eyes were trembling in surprise, confusion, and fear.
"There is no volcano activity either… something else is causing these tremors," cold sweat ran down her brow. "I can't stop it."
For a second, the only sound that could be heard was the low rumbling coming from below. One second flew by… then two… and three…
"We need to evacuate the Cathedral, now!" Lyceris turned away to pick up her staff. "I don't know what is going on, but I won't take any chances. We will go to find Kirito and Eugeo before dropping the three of you outside the Cathedral."
"Hah?! What about The Console?!" I pointed at the many windows still on display. "We can't just leave our progress like that; I am close to figure everything out!"
"It no longer matters!" my nemesis retorted heatedly. "We can return later. Our security and that of the people inside the Cathedral takes precedence!"
"What if something happens to The Console?" I asked her. "All the information will be lost, and we will never know for sure…!"
"It doesn't matter, Quinella!" she tapped her staff with strength unbecoming of her looks. "I don't know why you are so adamant about any of this. The way I see it, you deleted the information and just forgot about it. What did you expected to discover by watching some corrupted files and missing data?"
"…"
"I chose to entertain you because I was curious too, but that curiosity is meaningless compared with the lives of hundreds of people that are currently inside the Cathedral," she gave me one last stern look. "You will come with me willingly or otherwise. This little field trip of ours is over."
It wasn't a question. This was her last warning. If I opposed her, she would knock me out using system commands.
All this mystery made me forget how powerless I was. Lyceris could defeat me with the same ease as how someone swatted away a bothersome fly. The only reason I was at floor 100 was because she allowed me.
It was infuriating. It was humiliating.
And I could do nothing about it.
Against my own desires, I vaguely nodded at Lyceris.
"Good," she then turned at the unoccupied space of the 100th floor. "I just hope they are still at the Training Grounds."
She raised her staff, preparing a wordless Sacred Art. Then, with perhaps more strength than what was required, she brought it down to the floor.
The empty floor was filled with the echo of the contact between wood and marble…
Yet nothing happened.
We waited for ten long seconds… and no door was summoned.
"What…?"
Lyceris tried the command multiple times, some verbally even, but to no avail. The door refused to be summoned.
The vibrations just kept getting stronger.
How is it possible for everything to go wrong all the sudden? I asked myself, feeling impotent without my Sacred Arts. The missing data, the tremors, and now her door! What are the odds that everything failed at the same… time…
I blinked, my eyes narrowing in realization.
None of this could possibly be a coincidence…
My eyes turned back into The Console, the reason we were here in the first place.
What if… what if I never deleted any of those files? I asked myself rhetorically. What if someone else did?
While Lyceris was distracted, I ran towards The Console. My eyes immediately returned to the same two terms from before: Gigas Cedar. Calamity.
Why did those two terms catch my attention unlike the rest? Why I believed they were the key to solve the mystery?
Life. Power. Vitality. Regeneration…
It was subjective in nature. A hunch if you will. But why? What related all of these terms? What was hidden at the core?
Absorption. Gathering. Collecting. Solus. Terraria.
Growth...
I paused at that last word.
Means to enhance vitality… no that's incorrect, I traced a finger alongside the notes I took. It wasn't enhancing, it was gathering. Those were Sacred Arts to gather and focus spatial resources in a single spot.
Those resources were meant to nurture something… so it could grow.
It all was coming together. My thoughts felt guided, almost as if this wasn't the first time I had this thought process. As if… I did it before…
A memory… my hands trembled. Gigas Cedar, a tree planted on the north that served as a physical barrier by draining all spatial resources nearby. It grew tall and had near infinite Life due to its regeneration properties. However, what would happen if it was capable to gather more resources and drain vitality from nearby sources? It would become a powerful yet dangerous weapon, even for the caster.
It would become a Calamity.
A second later, I ran back at Lyceris.
"Leave those doors already, Cardinal!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. "It won't work!"
"?!"
"I figured it out," I gestured at The Console. "I was right all along, it wasn't me who deleted all those files, it was someone else. How else are we supposed to explain the mysterious earthquake or the fact that your doors can't be summoned? Someone is behind all of this… and I believe I know how they are doing it.
"The Cathedral is slowly being destroyed as we speak. Something is growing under our feet, breaking its way through the many floors," I turned at The Console. "It will grow by draining all resources inside and outside the building. If we take too long to escape, then we will be trapped in the upper floors. Our only way out will be the elevator at floor 85, and if it is destroyed…"
It wasn't necessary to finish that last sentence.
Lyceris eyed me carefully for a second. She turned at The Console, then at the empty spot where her door was supposed to be summoned.
Tense seconds followed…
"You will explain me everything you know as we go. If I discover that you are lying, I swear I will chain you from head to toes in the darkest dungeon inside this damn Cathedral, understood?!"
Without further ado, we began our descent from the highest floor of the Central Cathedral.
Floor 99 was the easiest one to access due to the small elevator that connected the two topmost floors. However, from then onwards we had no option but to run while the whole floor was shaking beneath our feet.
We made haste, moving through the sinuous hallways of the Senate. I tried to explain the situation to Cardinal the best I could, but the sole effort of not falling down was enough challenge already.
By some miracle, we managed to keep our pace without falling.
"What else do you know about this?!" Lyceris managed to ask between gasps, somehow managing to keep my pace despite the difference in height. "What exactly is this 'Calamity' you mentioned?"
"It was one of many experiments," I said while running through the narrow passages. "It is based on the Gigas Cedar I once planted in Norlangarth, close to Rulid village."
"The Gigas Cedar?!" the short girl scoffed. "How is any of this related to that tree?"
"If I am right, and I most likely are, someone planted one of those seeds in my Cathedral using the information stored within the Cathedral," I grinded my teeth in rage. "Whoever that was, it was the same individual that deleted the information from The Console and the same one who blocked your doors.
"I am not sure where they found the seeds," I clicked my tongue. "Perhaps there was some seeds stored elsewhere inside the Cathedral, but I can't remember that detail. All I know is that, through the use of the many Sacred Arts stolen from The Console, they managed to create a Calamity powerful enough to tear through my Cathedral!"
"What about the Orthinanos? Or the Deep Freeze Art?" she asked. "What do they have to do with any of this?"
"I don't know," I replied honestly. "They are outliers I can't properly relate. They might not even be related at all."
One turn later and we were now at the stairs that led towards the Morning Star Lookout. The floor was shaking uncontrollably now, signal that we were running out of time to successfully escape.
Due to the design of the 95th floor, we were able to directly access the 94th without a hitch. If we kept our pace, we might be capable of uniting with my Integrity Knights or (and I can't believe I am saying this) the Irregular Unit and his companions.
If only I could remember those secret passageways… I clicked my tongue. No, forget about those. Whoever caused this must have used them to move undetected around the Cathedral, so the passageways must be sealed by them too. I bit my lower lip hard enough to draw some blood. I will kill whoever did any of this! I will personally chop their head off once I get the chance!
We entered a new corridor, one that led directly towards the next set of stairs. We were lucky that I still remembered how to move around the Cathedral the traditional way.
The tremors were unbearable at this point, making it impossible to run anymore. Cardinal and I had to push our backs towards the walls, hoping that the shaking would end sooner than later.
Then, without a warning, the floor just ahead of us exploded.
There was no spark nor flame. This explosion wasn't caused by a Fire Element Sacred Art, or by any Sacred Art at all. No, this was caused by a physical blow.
The debris flung all around us. My hand rose, not to shield me from the fragments of marble, but to cast a Sacred Art that could protect me. Sadly, I remembered too late my current situation and lack of powers.
It was fortunate that the brat was at the ready.
Lyceris reacted just as fast as me, creating a shield that blocked any harmful debris from reaching us just in time.
"What in the world was that?"
"…"
We waited behind the barrier for the dust to settle. After a couple of tense seconds, we finally had the chance to see the cause of the explosion.
Before us was an object, or rather, a living thing that grew. The thing protruding from the floor kept moving in all directions, breaking the beautiful marble into pieces as it moved.
Both Lyceris and I stared at it. It was dark with some red and purple dots that gave the impression that the dark exterior was lacerated, revealing the rotten and poisoned flesh beneath. The twisted sounds and movements it did while growing were uncanny too, almost like hearing the bones of a living thing snapping out of place several times until they turned into dust.
The rumbling became more bearable now that this thing came out, but through the rest of the hallways we could still hear faint echoes of new explosions and the same creepy sounds this thing made.
"The Calamity," I whispered. "It has finally caught up to us…"
"…" Lyceris watched the branch with morbid curiosity, stepping a bit too close to my liking.
"Don't let those vines capture you," I warned. Although we were sworn enemies, she was the only protection I had against The Calamity and the person responsible for its growth. "They will begin to drain your vitality upon contact. Blasting them away would be ideal."
Lyceris huffed, stepping in front of me with an air of superiority.
"Don't boss me around," she complained before unleashing a fierce ball of wind that tore through the wood with ease. "So, in the end, you were telling the truth. Now that's something unexpected."
"Don't get any funny ideas with me, Lyceris," I replied with a grunt. "Nothing has changed between us. As long as we capture the miserable worm that did this to my Cathedral, I will work with you, but only this time, Lyceris."
"Hmp. The feeling is mutual."
We continued our way, walking carefully just in case a new branch chose to grow under our feet.
The stairs that led towards the floor below were finally visible from our location. The branches of The Calamity might have reached us, but even they will take a while before draining all spatial resources entirely. If we hurried and reached the elevator, then we could…
I halted.
It was sudden, done entirely by reflex. No matter how much I wanted to move my legs forwards, they remained unresponsive.
Lyceris was in the same situation as I, petrified on the spot.
What… what is this presence? I felt a lump on my throat tighten painfully as something in front of us shifted. The air right in front of the stairs began to move and dispel…
Something was right there, hidden in plain sight. Waiting…
First, we noticed the body, tall and broad, proper of a human male. He (or at least I supposed "It" was a "he") wore a dark and blue robe underneath a white hoodless cloak, white pants, and black boots. In his right hand he wielded a white staff with a golden crest, which was taller than the man by a fair margin. On his other hand, however…
"Silvery… Eternity…?" I muttered when I saw the immaculate white of my rapier resting confidently on this… individual's clutches.
My eyes slowly worked their way up towards this… person's face. It was covered under a mask made of the same kind of wood of The Calamity. However, those cold silver eyes that poked from the inside…
My head throbbed painfully the moment our gazes met. This feeling… this eerie and dreadful pain…
I felt it two centuries ago.
Despite my memory issues it was impossible for me to forget this kind of pain. It was product of my greatest failure… the one that was standing right beside me…
"You…" Lyceris' voice carried incredible amounts of hatred and loathing… one I never heard since the moment she was created. "What the hell are you?"
He… no, that thing wasn't a "he". "It" stared at us silently as more rumbles echoed all around us.
This entity… this creature… there was something familiar about "It" in more ways than one.
With a guttural sound, "It" charged…
**** Author's Notes ****
** Explanations and Crazy Ramblings **
And that's a wrap! At least for today that is.
Hey everyone. It's been uh… quite a while, eh? Two months… and a half.
I know, I know. I said that we were back into the former monthly schedule and all that jazz. However, time really was taken away from me lately.
Anyway, after several setbacks, I finally managed to finish the chapter! So, let us discuss it a little bit further, eh?
** The chapter itself **
First, let's begin with Kirito. He finally explained the reason behind his strange behavior from the last chapter when talking to Quinella. What the nightmare was, I won't tell yet; I leave it to your imagination what could possibly trouble him.
Then was Alice vs Kirito. In this battle we got the chance to see how strong Kirito truly is without using the full cheat code that is his Incarnation. As he explained, he isn't as talented as many people think, nor he is that physically strong or fast. If anything, his only two advantages over most Integrators are his impressive reaction time and his tactical mind that will use anything to his favor.
Now, let's talk about Quinella and The Calamity.
Despite I usually enjoy writing Quinella's perspective, this time it was all the way around. I found a hard time trying to find a correct balance for her relationship with Cardinal. Sure, they hate each other. Sure, they are sworn enemies. However, the current situation required the two of them to set aside their differences and work together… which was a hell to write.
As Quinella stated many times, she never saw any of this like a favor to Cardinal or something like that. All she wanted was to know if she was the one that deleted The Console's information or not. And, once she realized what was happening, her wrath towards "It" was so great, that she saw acceptable to keep working with Cardinal for a while longer.
Speaking of "It" …
For those who have seen or played SAO Lycoris, you all might already have a good idea about The Calamity and "Its" identity. However, as the last part of the chapter implied, there is more to "It" than the "male human" Quinella described. Also, if you are afraid that I will lean entirely towards the game's main story, fret not! I only borrowed some ideas from it, that's all. "Its" plan and objectives are far more different than those at the game.
For those who haven't seen or played SAO Lycoris, I will explain who "It" is, what exactly is The Calamity, and who the Orthinanos are in future chapters. I tried to introduce further explanations inside this chapter, but all my efforts were in vain.
But that's it for this Author Notes. Now, on with the reviews!
** Reviews! **
FatedWait: Thank you!
juanitoramirez5022: Cardinal sure had to share many things, huh? Stay tuned for the next chapter!
DaManWOFear: I am kinda planning to involve Deusolbert on this story a bit more. He won't be a central character, but he will have his spotlight. As for Alice and Edith… both received their memory crystals. However, the former gave hers to Eugeo since Alice Zuberg was his childhood friend. As for Kirito and Quinella… well, the next chapter says it all, huh.
Inphernalmenace: never before I thought I would write a filler chapter… yet here we are. As for the choice of conversation… there are two explanations. Firstly, as Kirito said, he was fine with anything as long as he was distracted. Secondly, the two still have negative feelings about each other; it will take them a while to open up properly and talk about something deeper without wanting to choke each other. As for "It"… you shall see in the next chapters. As for Quinella's powers… we shall see too…
Sergey: they will help each other… in due time. The other day I had a conversation in which I realized the same thing about Quinella being a Yandere. As for Quinella escaping UW… oh boy, that was fun to think about.
Anyway… what are your thoughts about this new chapter? Loved it? Hated it? Regardless of your thoughts, thank you once again for taking some of your precious time to read this story.
On a final note… sorry Medina Orthinanos fans (if there are any), she won't be the main heroine in this story.
PS: Follow wishineitor on Twitter! The story's cover was made by him!
See you next chapter!