Chapter Eleven Broken Arrow!?

The chill of the Dark Territory atmosphere continued to pelt Kirito, Teise and, Yumi's faces as the continued flying on Otes' back to where their friends were fighting for their lives. As they approached however a slight glint caught the redheaded knights attention as she glanced down to her right to try and get a better look. Despite the altitude she thought she caught the glimpse of a silhouette of Integrity Knight armor but she couldn't be sure without getting a better look but right now they had a job to do so it would have to wait. Not too long after witnessing that the trio's eyes were transfixed on the hellscape they were approaching piles of bodies, pillars of fire and smoke and even explosions. This was it they had arrived. Teise quickly grasped the reigns of her dragon and commanded Otes to descend to a small clearing right behind Fanatio and the others. As soon as he landed Kirito and Yumi hopped off but Tiese just sat there reigns cleansed in her hands; she just couldn't get what she thought she saw out of her head.

"Fanatio status." Kirito called out to the knight commander who quickly turned around; "terrible odds facing down thousands of enemy troops no matter how many we kill two more come to take it's place."

"Colossal shit-show got it..."

"Nothing you and Lady Alice can't handle though; where is she anyway?" Fanatio asked as she noticed Alice's absence.

"Alice is following my orders; I ordered her to stay back at the palace." Kirito ordered the annoyance abundant in his tone.

"But why Kirito; we need all the help we can get!?" Fanatio questioned dumbfounded at what she was just told.

"Hey hate to interrupt but less talk more fight!" Aelieta asserted as her the Lyoko Warriors and the other knights continued to combat the horde that just won't stop coming.

It was at this Kirito pushed past Fanatio and drew his swords from the sheaths on his back before revealing his wings and began to glow in the power of "Starburst"

" Fine they want a fight they got one.." Kirito asserted as Fanatio charged after him to get back in the fight confident she would get to the bottom of this later. Yumi was prepared to follow Fanatio to join her friends but not before glancing behind her and seeing her friend Tiese still on her dragon.

"You coming Yumi asked snapping Teise out of her thoughts; Not now Yumi I thought I saw something aways back and it's giving me a bad feeling I'm going to go investigate." The black haired woman was confused but could since the Knights feelings on the matter and knew it was pointless to argue.

"Alright just be careful and watch your back alright." Yumi told the redhead with a smile. Teise was stunned even though she and Yumi haven't been partners long it was almost like they were thinking the same way had mutual concern for one another like they'd been lifelong friends. Tiese then nodded and snapped the reigns to order Otes back into the air as she headed back the way the trio had just came.

Yumi then after seeing Tiese disappear out of sight turned and headed towards the battle to back up her friends and husband but before she got to them the young woman was stunned to see Kirito despite only fighting for a few moments had defeated at least a square mile worth of droids. The Star King had the Lyoko Warriors stunned as they one by one dropped to their knees in exhaustion as the adrenaline of almost being overrun started to wear off with the new found breathing space. It of course also doesn't help that none of them had seen full scale combat albeit virtual world combat like this in nearly three decades and they also were not accustomed to the physical toll the STL was having on them but right now they couldn't worry about that they had a Job to do after all.

After a slight respite Aelieta and the others got to there feet. "Kirito alone is making mincemeat out of XANA'S toys!"
Odd exclaimed in disbelief but he also couldn't say he was unimpressed.

"That may be but we need to warn him not to let his guard down XANA'S power is unlike anything anyone of us has ever faced before." Ulrich and Yumi added as Aelieta slid her right arm over her left wrist generating her a pair of wings like her old ones which she then used to get close enough to Kirito to warn him. All the while still broadcasting to the Ocean Turtle where Higa Jeremy and Ryoken were watching the fight with held breath. Kirito truly was their last hope...

"Kirito!" Aelieta called out to the black swordsman who had briefly halted his assault to see what was so important;

"You are doing well but be warned the master that controls this army your pushing back is a literal monster a killer."

Kirito not wanting to be rude to the pink haired woman but he just couldn't help but snicker his cockiness evident annoying Aelieta that he wasn't appearing to take the threat seriously but there was something else strange going on...

"What the hell is happening the army they stopped..." Odd stuttered as he and the others gazed on as overhead black clouds darkened the sky as red lightning broke the blackness above...

"Please tell me this is just a thunderstorm Ulrich muttered as a cold chill filled the air..."

"I'm afraid not Buddy I'm afraid it's something much... Much... Worse... William stated stoickly. He knew better than anyone what was happening it's almost like he could sense what his one time master was thinking. "If his gut was right then...

"Kirito... Aelieta... get out of the sky he's coming!" William shouted frantically catching everyone's attention as one huge blast of red lightning Struck the ground shaking the earth and sending Kirito and Aelieta plummeting to the terrain below fortunately for them Eydis and Yumi came sliding in to break their fall...

The flash created by this quickly dimmed revealing a white faced man dressed like a Mongolian king with a blue flame atop his head in the center of a crown and vampire like fangs protruding from his upper lip. This being emitting such power and evil it cooled and rippled through the air as his army bowed before the "demon king." It truly was a terrifying sight especially for the Lyoko Warriors who have never actually seen XANA in the flesh before. They all were unsure of whether it was his manifestation in this world or if he truly saw Kirito as enough of a threat to deem it worthy of appearing in the flesh either way they knew this was not going to be good.

"So this is the Legendary Black Swordsman!?" XANA proclaimed in a cold echoing voice his accent sounding almost demonic.

"The one and only; and you must be the computer store reject XANA. Kirito insulted the AI... Stunning everyone around him...

"Oh he shouldn't have done that..." Yumi muttered to her friends who were all standing there with mouths agape.

"Nice knowing him." William responded...

"Excuse me one should not insult his future ruler a divinity like that..." XANA responded back however Kirito didn't even flinch...

" Im feeling quite generous today so now bow before me grovel your regret to me and I may grant you a less agonizing demise." XANA demanded of Kirito...

"Dream on!" Kirito responded before holding his hands out from his sides as his swords levitated from off the ground and back into his hands.

"Very well Die then!" XANA exclaimed as he too held out his arm which spawned a colossal sword which emitted a glowing black aura around it as he went speeding towards the black swordsman in a blur. Hitting Kirito with enough force to send him back into another zip code much to the horror of his friends watching on from the battlefield and from those watching him from Ocean Turtle.

Before the others could even process what just happened XANA turned his focus to them; "Now as for you I need you out of my way and out of my hair while I finish my plan so I'll let my big brute subordinate play with you for a bit because quite frankly you aren't worth my time."

At this statement the ground shook as what the integrity knights could only describe as a literal mountain sprung from the ground.

"Don't even say it" Odd muttered...

"You are so dead when this is over Odd" Ulrich cursed his friend knowing damn good and well what was happening.

The walking mass of rock and lava finally came to shape as the Knights looked up in awe at the behemoth that had materialized right before there eyes.

"What is it!? Eydis asked William with a look of horror on her face...

"XANA'S big brute the Kollasus" William stated as the mass suddenly jolted coming to life as it began swinging it's blade arm to strike down the small army opposing it while it's master calmly marched over to where he sent Kirito flying determined to finish him while he was down so he could move on with his plans.

Meanwhile with Alice at Ishkans citadel:

"Kirito!" Alice exclaimed startling the young child in her arms as Yuji started to cry scared by his mother's sudden outburst as Mylee came running in;

"Lady Alice what's wrong!?"

"Kirito is in danger Mylee please watch Yuji for me I must help him!" Mylee was stunned but immediately panicked as she tried to reason with the Knight.

"Lady Alice you are in no condition for a fight yet you need to rest after all you have just given birth!" But alas it was futile Alice's mind had been made up as she held the boy to her face and placed a peck on her child's cheek before whispering to the child; "my dear Yuji mommy is sorry I upset you but I must help him your dad but I promise I'll bring him back and we'll all go home together before handing him to Mylee. Alice then grabbed her sword and armor from the bed beside her and bolted out of the door as fast as her legs would carry her...

Meanwhile with Tiese:

This is it Otes descend Tiese ordered Otes who landed next to three motionless bodies they were undeniably the remains of Desulbert Ishkahn and Scheta this brought tears to the knights face as she realized her comrades who they had set out to save were all dead but even so Tiese couldn't bring herself to leave the trio there like that unsure of why she felt compelled to drag the bodies onto the back of Otes tying them down so they didn't fall off mid-flight once that was done Tiese once again mounted Otes and headed back to the battlefield with no idea of what was going on there.

Meanwhile Back With Alice:

Alice had bolted out of Ishkahn's fortress focused on her next to rescuing Kirito and returning to their new family. However there was one more hurdle to confront Alice would never make it in time on foot but luckily for her there was a dragon ship sitting in the courtyard and, although she had never operated one Alice knew she was a smart and determined woman and was confident she would be able to pilot it. While she was attempting to make heads or tails of the controls the rest of the Human Imperial Army and Royal Marines Kirito called for had arrived to the castle followed closely by their supply train.

"Lady Alice" The commander of the force Lady Dorothy shouted her purple army gleaming in the red sunlight as she presented herself and her army to highest ranking individual present which at that moment was the blonde knight. We are ready to follow your orders and to fight the rebel forces she stated bowing to Alice who was momentarily confused as she forgot she held rank over Dorothy and the regular army forces but quickly signaled Dorothy to ease...

"Very well troops follow me into battle for his majesty the Star King..."
As soon as Alice said this the troops rallied as she soon got the fighter into the air and the priestess of light turned it towards the horizon the direction of the battle at a speed the army below her could follow...

"I'm coming Kirito I promise I'll save you" Alice vowed...

To Be Continued: