Thirty minutes later...

"I have terrible news, Eydis. Whatever poison your attacker used is not something that the light arts can easily manage." Archmage Mer Agi Ina sighs as she places a metal saucer of blood - Eydis' poisoned blood - on top of the empress' desk. Eydis sits in her chair on the other side, still weakened by the wound Cordelia healed and the slow but starting effects of the poison. Currently, it does no more than tire her out, but she's sure the worse is yet to come.

"Of course, you know that poison cannot be healed by the arts." She sighs and looks across the table, frowning at the ruler. "You shouldn't have sent Sikhan and Acras away. No, how is it that this intruder escaped alive from you of all people."

"Heh... I'm happy to see you're concerned for me, Merls, but I'll be fine. Nothing a little poison can do to hurt me." Eydis tries laughing it off, but the other three women in the room don't feel so merry. One look at the two girls seated on the couches beyond the desk breaks apart Eydis' desperate attempt at humor, so she switches back to empress mode. "Anyway. have you heard any news from the search party?"

"Nothing since I came here. Acras lead the special forces out with Sikhan, and I had my mages work out the strange miasma. It felt like the dark arts...but it wasn't, and it seems that it was dispelled by its caster. Then that...blast... You have any idea what that was?"

Eydis nods. "I might. No, I'm certain of it."

"Then I guess we'll find out when the Supreme Commander returns. On that note, what's this adventure you two troublemakers are going on about?" Merls faces the young ladies, an intrigued smile on her face. Sylvie and Cordelia look at each other, and if Eydis could read looks like words on a page, Cordelia wishes to spoll the beans, but Sylvie is adamant about keeping their reasons a secret.

Her daughter may not be the type to engage in reckless shenanigans, but Sylvie does have her father's streak for getting in trouble and being stubborn about it. Cordelia, however, lacks her ancestor's inflexibility. Eydis decides to weaponize it. "Cordelia, what is it? "

Split between her best friend and her ancestor's best friend, Cordelia turns her head to mother and daughter like a confused dragon. "Oh, um...you see...Sylvie was actually looking to meet with Dorothy and Notte about love."

"Wha-?"

"Yeah, you see... There's this boy who I know reaaaaally well - my big brother - and Sylvie has taken quite an interest in him. But you see, she's a little conflicted because of her feelings about another boy on this side of the End Mountains. So she wanted to talk to me, Notte, and Dorothy about love. I guess Notte would be the best option, since she has Rano."

Red in the face, Sylvie stands up. "What are you saying! I don't even like Mathias, and I don't want to talk about Log! This has nothing to do with love! We're here to help Jaymes on getting to-" Sylvie forcefully covers her mouth. Whether realizing she had been trapped in realizing more than she should about her personal life (though Eydis already knew her daughter possessed feelings for the Auratum heir) or the spill of the name that Sylvie's father shares, the princess clamps up.

Then she faces Eydis, and the empress' face molds into shock. Sylvie didn't mention anyone named Jaymes, but the one Eydis knows specifically - the former Emperor. If the poison in her body hadn't weakened her to the point she can't make sudden movements, Eydis would have mimicked her daughter. "You mean..."

"Are you saying,,, Emperor Jaymes is back?" Merls says with a uncharacteristically surprised demeanor. "And now of all times..."

"Yes. It's almost too much of a coincidence. Where is he? Does he know..."

Sylvie nods as she sits back down. "He knows, Mother. He knew about me before I knew of him, though. Something out talking to his soul or whatever." So Jaymes did learn about the Underworld from his soul as he said he would. How much does he know, though? Sylvie, as shocking as it must've been, is now just the tip of the iceberg. "We were coming to find the secret storeroom and ride the Chaos Drake up to Admina. It was supposed to be a quick trip here, but then...well, you can guess what happened. He sent me and Cordelia here to help you while he and Kureha searched for the person on the outside."

Kureha too? Eydis recalls that's the name of his childhood friend. If he's not alone, there's a good chance Kirito, Asuna, and Alice are here as they were last time. What are they doing here? "Then my attacker's ally is either dead, captured, or es-"

"Your Majesty!" The doors are forced open, interrupting the empress. All eyes turn to Knight Commander Acras and Supreme Commander Sikhan, followed by two other knights. But Eydis barely eyes them as she looks at the two humans they thrust upon the floor.

One is a female in the uniform of the Integrity Pilothood, with pink hair underneath the blue cap. She glares at Eydis, unhappy to be thrown on the floor as she was, but her blue eyes don't seem to bear any malice. Why is a member of the pilothood over here in the first place...and her companion is a mystery, too. His skin is dark like any denizen of the Dark Territory, with black spiky hair on top of his head and a stubbled beard over his face. He wears a strangely familiar black and red uniform, but Eydis can't determine where her memory originates.

But as she and the man trade glances, something about it is quite familiar.

"Sikhan, these people were found at the mountains?"

"Yes, and taken in immediately."

"Are you sure...they were allied with our attacker?"

"No, I am not. When we found them, they were beaten up right where that explosion made impact. I don't know how they survived or who they were fighting. The man here, he expressed a great desire to meet with you while we rode the elevator up. I can't say why I felt compelled to bring them here other than her Pilothood uniform."

Eydis folds her hands in front of her face in thought. There must be some information they can provide that the special forces cannot. She'll have to interrogate the pair, but her soul tells her she won't have to stress them too hard. She glances at the man one more time, sensing the same level of familiarity as before...then her eyes gloss over to her daughter.

Sylvie is quiet and her face is masked. Whatever she's thinking, she's masterfully hiding it from her mother. That, in itself, is a tell-tale sign that she knows the identity of the man and woman, if not Cordelia struggling to put on a blank face.

Her decision made, Eydis points to the bearded man. "Leave me, the princess, and the man here alone. I'll interrogate him myself. As for the woman, keep her outside until I call for you." Acras, who rarely questions the empress' decisions, bows and orders the two young knights to detain the woman. Sikhan makes a frown, but the pugilist keeps his thoughts to himself as he gestures to Cordelia to follow him and the others out of the room.

Once the iron doors to Eydis' chambers seal shut, she turns back to the man. He's still on his knees, hands bound by metal cuffs in front of him. She chuckles as a smile graces her face. "You can drop the act now. Acting submissive is one thing, but the disguise isn't working. The sideburns were cute back in the day, but this beard looks ridiculous on you."

"I have to agree on that." He chuckles and stands up. The cuffs holding his wrists snap open via Incarnation from Eydis. His beard regressed to the clean-shaven face, heroic face she met two hundred years ago and again a month prior. His uniform doesn't change from the black and red coat, but now she connects it to a story of a world in which he called "Gun Gale."

Once his transformation is complete, he shakes his wrists and faces Eydis as his proper self. "Hello, Eydis. It's been a while."

"That it has, Jaymes."

"Though it would have been nice to know something very important the last time we were here."

"I never expected you'd ever learn that truth so soon."

"You may have a point, but so do I."

"Yes, you're right. But what would you have done if I told you the truth? And really, is this what you want to do at a time like this? Argue over what should have been done, or figure out what's going on now?"

"Right... But first, is something wrong? Usually when we argue, you're ready to throw the Dark Slash Sword in my face."

Eydis' smile shrinks as Jaymes comes toward the desk. With a grimace she attempts to stand, holding to the scarred wound where her attacker impaled her. "This is one reason. Fresh from my fight with an assassin earlier. The other...is the poison that entered my body as a backup in case I was healed or not fatally struck. Unfortunately, the enemy has the sole cure for it. I bet you're wondering how I got to that point." She grasps the hilt of her blade, shaking it lightly. "Ever since I was stripped of my status as an Integrity Knight, I rarely wore the armor. After we defeated the Cult of Primus a century ago, I put away the Dark Slash Sword, using this copy as my blade except in certain circumstances. The last time I wielded my old partner was after you left and Sylvie was born. Had to defend my throne, you know."

"Yeah." Jaymes' eyes are fixated on Eydis' bare abdomen, his hand honing in on the pinkish scar. HIs fingers brush against it, making Eydis shudder. He looks up to her, and Eydis feels her heart beating like a drum more so than any other moment since they've first locked eyes today. "I'm sorry for leaving you behind to deal with this. I dragged you over here, after all."

"I don't regret any of it. You gave me the best centuries of my life. We knew what would eventually happen, especially after Kirito and Asuna disappeared. If it wasn't for me, you would have left earlier. And you left me with the best gift possible."

Jaymes smiles again, then he looks over his shoulder at Sylvie. The princess remains seated, her face turned away from her, her arms crossed. Seeing her parents together for the first time must be too much for her. "You sure that cheater is my child?"

"Who are you a cheater?" the princess snarls. She gets on her feet and gets between Eydis and Jaymes, facing her father with fury. "If anyone's a cheat, I learned it from the best."

"Oh? So you are a cheater?"

"No!"

"If you are, you didn't learn it from me. I'm a beater, not a cheater. Are you sure this hothead is my child?"

"She's every bit much like you and more. But enough about that." Exhausted, Eydis sits back down and taps the table. Sylvie clicks her tongue and backs off, taking one of the two seats on the visitor side of the desk. Jaymes takes the other. Once they're down, Eydis switches gears. "Jaymes, did you ever learn of the First Children?"

"I did. Primus, Noxium, Stella, and Eva, four of the first sixteen Fluctlights we implanted in the Underworld. They, along with a fifth, had found a way to live beyond their natural lifespans before Administrator. They were powerful back then for the demi-goddess to see them as a threat and sought to eliminate them."

"Yes. In the end, one of them was killed, and the other four were put to Deep Freeze and imprisoned. They would remain that way until Kirito defeated Administrator. In her final moments, she called out to those asleep, asking them to revive her. Primus and his family woke up as well as Hersyrian, and made their escape from the cathedral during the chaos that marked the arrival of the Central Cedar. Unlike him, though, they went into hiding for two years."

"Until they started a epidemic in Norlangarth. You were sent to investigate a disturbance in the north and were captured by them. Eventually, you were indoctrinated and turned to their side, nearly killed me and Medina. They even got me and Kirito to fight each other. But everything worked out in the end, and we kicked their asses. That was all the other me spilled, so I assumed they were one and done. But apparently that wasn't the end of it, as Eolyne put it. A...cult following succeeded them, right?"

"Yes. The First Children's goal was to destroy this world in which they found to be an affront to their 'mothers and father,' who we know as Stacia, Terraria, Solus, and Vecta. Before we defeated him, Primus demonstrated to you that he had the ability to morph the world, an ability that you said Falchion is limited by. It was the memory release of his sword, Gladius Filius, and had we not stopped him, he would have destroyed the world with two words."

"But that wasn't his first idea, right?"

"Yes, he worked up to it. Plan A was a duel between you real worlders, in the hopes that you three would kill each other off. With the three major threats gone, the four could take over without much contention. When that failed, Plan B was enacted afterward: a distraction to buy Primus time. Noxium and Stella raised an army against Obsidia, while Eva guarded Primus at Central Cathedral. That plan lead to the rise of the Ancient Apostles and the turning of all Integrity Knights created by Administrator under his control. Plan C, Primus took the fight to you three and almost defeated you."

Jaymes drops his head. "I heard the story, so I can only imagine living it. The entire war, from your fight with Medina, Ilia, and Mia and Kirito and Asuna rescuing Ronie and Tiese from Primus and Noxium at the Norlangarth manor, all the way to the final fight with Primus, all happened in a matter of hours. That must've been exhausting."

"Yes, it was. More exhausting was what came afterward. The first iteration of the Cult of Primus, Round Robin and his Four Horsemen. They came five years alter Primus, and that's all we know of their origins. We never learned whether they were citizens who learned Primus' secret, people he groomed in case he failed, or a party initially inaffliated but found inspiration from him. But they did seek to finish what he started, and gave us 100 days to clear a 100-level undeground labyrinth and face them."

"100 levels...underground? That's...something."

"Yeah. You, Asuna, and Kirito were strangely affected by that certain detail. In any case, we got over that crisis. We...lost a lot in that event, but the end was far from over. The second iteration of the cult took almost a century to defeat, and they followed someone we know only as 'The Overseer.'"

"The Overseer?" Jaymes rolls his eyes, amused by the title. "What a lame name. Oh so threatening."

"And 'Crimson Emperor' was?" Sylvie retorts.

"Good point, but it wasn't my name that put fear in my enemies. My Falchion slew the Dark God, the Pontifex, The First Son, and I guess this Round Robin. This 'Overseer' sounds like a cheap knockoff. But in any case, you say he and the cult was entangled with us for over a century. And you say it as if he was one entity. Eydis, you know that's impossible."

"I know, but I've been around for three times as long."

"True, but...how did we work that out? Your Fluctlight should've collapsed long ago from memory accumulation. I don't believe we'd reenact the Synthesis Ritual to empty that storage space to elongate your life...and I don't wish to think we split your memories between you and another like Quinella did with Cardinal."

Eydis nods. "Against Round Robin, I took a serious blow. You saved me, of course, but in the process... Somehow, you modified my unit to take in unlimited data. So I never will reach a threshold, as you put it. But it came at a great cost to you and Falchion. You might not have noticed it yet, but if you've talked to Commander Eolyne, then you know of the Abyssal Horror which you real worlders and Alice were victorious."

"Eolyne made a point in saying I could never beat it because it could split parts of its body and remain alive."

"But that didn't sound strange to you? Falchion, the sword that killed all major menaces by striking the core of their soul...couldn't defeat a the strongest Ancient Apostle there was? Before you counter, the one you called Fatal Scythe was different, its Incarnation kept it alive until Mia shot it. The Horror did no such thing."

"...What happened, then?"

"To save my life, you forced Falchion to break the rules of the world. In turn, Falchion no longer allowed you to perform its memory release." Eydis doesn't know the full extent of that reasoning, but she understands the power of Falchion. Jaymes, in the real world, was one of the people who created the Underworld and oversaw it for a while from the outside. His sword, Falchion, was once a normal sword, but became the entity it is today due to a ritual that mixed crystallized forms of the eight elements - light, dark, fire, water, air, ice, metal, and crystal - forged into his sword.

The creator of the sword, by the way, was the first head of House Orthinanos, which is one of the reasons Jaymes and House Orthinanos have had a strong bond.

Falchion's memory release, Exalted Falchion, has the ability to manipulate the world under several limitations. He used it to destroy the constantly reincarnating soul of Administrator and to eliminate the nearly invincible Primus through his soul as well. With Cardinal's assistance, it turned the dead Uetra Valley, Medina's homeland, into a fertile land. In the world's view, those were within the rules.

However, it couldn't make the Dark Territory fertile. It couldn't do a thing about the Walls at the End of the World. And though it put a hole in Central Cathedral, it was a temporary thing. Jaymes never went into detail about what the "rules" where, but the little he told her were explained heavily with real-world concepts.

In short, he cannot create major change to the world, such as destruction or creation of a world. He can't create a person or manipulate their features and unit details. The former is the reason Primus' Gladius Filius overpowered Falchion, and the latter is why he can no longer access the memory release power.

Eydis' soul was attacked by one of the Four Horseman, but there was no healing art that could help her. No art nor medicine could stop the rampant attack on her body. So to save her, Jaymes had to use Falchion's ability to manipulate her unit, and that led to the restriction on Falchion's power. How useful it would be to have right now.

Jaymes pondered quietly for a while. Eydis is sure he doesn't understand everything now, given he doesn't remember it. However, he doesn't look disappointed or grieved. "So that explains why I couldn't use it earlier. Well... I know myself well. I would do anything to save you, even at the cost of my power."

"You said those exact words too."

Sylvie makes her presence known by clearing her throat. "Excuse me, hate to interrupt the reunion, but what does this have to do with who attacked earlier?"

"Right. Eolyne mentioned you believe the cult is behind the lie about the Abyssal Horror. The two we faced outside were vague about their affiliations, but I think we're on the same page. You think they're behind this attack too?"

Eydis palpates the wound once more. "It was a hypothesis that either they or another annoying group are behind the Abyssal Horror. Given that only Human Empire pilots were attacked, I can't really say if the cult is behind that. But this attack is definitely the cult's doing. Why now, long after you three left the world, I don't know."

"What makes you certain the cult is back?"

"The soldier who attacked us said a pair of words I hadn't heard in a hundred years: Nativitas Mundi, the phrase Primus said to enact his memory release. Two, the attacker used a power similar to Primus' memory enhance power, the ability to freeze time to attack. Last, they openly stated to be a part of the cult."

Jaymes frowns. "I'm aware of his powers. 'Initium et finis' was the phrase for Primus' Enhance Armament. 'Navititas Mundi' for the Release Recollection. Those are phrases of a dead language in my world... Kureha and I did encounter two more outside the city, and they were powerful in their own right as you heard. It must be them, then. But if it has been in hiding for a century, where have they been hiding?"

"That's what I'd like to find out. Which is why, Sylvie, I'm going to ask you to return to the Human Empire for the time being. But before you get ticked off, you must realize that your safety is -"

"Yes, I know." Sylvie interrupts, her disapproval apparent. "I know my life is important. But what if the Star Empire isn't safe? And what about your safety? I'm not...I'm not ready to be empress yet. How can you ask me to find safety and let you remain in danger? I don't want to...lose my mother...in such a pathetic way as poisoning."

Eydis is sure Sylvie did not mean that last part at all, but Eydis has to agree. Death by poisoning is pretty pathetic for someone who spent their life fighting. She also understands Sylvie's desire to save her, but Eydis will de damned if she sends her one and only ray of sunshine in the dark realm to the enemy. Even if she wanted to...she can't ask the only one who could protect her to do so. He has his own mission and he can't be here all the time. Hell, she isn't too happy that she can't hunt down those bastards herself.

"Sylvie. Let me and your mother speak alone. And tell them to release Kureha, if that's okay with you." Jaymes keeps his gaze on Eydis, but his words are forceful and direct to the princess. Eydis expected Sylvie to retaliate. However, the princess glances at her father then nods her head. She stands up, bows to Eydis, and once Eydis gives her approval to free the pink-haired girl, she heads for the doorway.

Once the iron doors slam shut again, Jaymes sighs and leans towards the desk. "I...am going to say something, so allow me to say it all before you hit me."

"Is it the reason you brought our daughter and Medina's descendant unintentionally into danger?"

"Ah, yeah... As I said earlier, Eolyne told us about the Abyssal Horror and how it might be connected to a conspiracy on Admina. The reason the two of us, Alice, Asuna, and Kirito have come back is to investigate a potentially connected matter. Someone from my world has entered yours, but they're not one of us or someone connected to us. So... While Kirito, Asuna, Eolyne, and Alice go to Central Cathedral to steal away the X'rphan, I brought the girls to take the Chaos Drake and head to Admina."

"I see."

"I...know that might put Sylvie in danger, and I know that is more reckless than usual for me. But like you, I did try to keep her away. But you know who she takes after. It's rather bothersome."

Eydis giggles. "Now you understand how I felt all the time...and I know you would not let her do something dangerous willingly. I assume you're still going to Admina? If so, allow me to show you to the storeroom."

"Thanks, but I'm not sure if I should go. Knowing Kirito, he'll get in trouble, and I will need to bail him out. I, however, cannot let you take this on alone."

"You think I can't-"

"I'm not abandoning my empress and the mother of my child a second time," he says sternly. "I'm not leaving Sylvie behind either. Yes, I can't be here all the time, but I can't...allow you to die without trying to save you. At one point, you were the most important person to me, and though that part of me is...mostly nothing more than another life for me and a memory for you, I - the person I was before the war - loved you, and in a way, I still do. I still values you as a close friend and a compatriot. And you know...if she was here, Medina would do the same for you. She'd kill me if I abandoned you in your time of need."

"Medina…" Something about hearing her old friend's name on his lips makes her feel sick. It's not the jealous feeling from the past, but a heavy weight of guilt. Based on how he speaks of her, the Emperor didn't tell him something important…another truth she missed a month ago. She should rectify that now. "Jaymes, I… Huh?"

Jaymes stands up and does something quite unexpected. He steps to the side between the two chairs and drops down to one knee. Stunned, Eydis can only lower her jaw as the former emperor continues talking. "If for no other reason, let me do this as a form of an apology. I left you here to rule and to raise Sylvie. I heard about the troubles you both went through, knowing that if I was still here, things could have been better. So...Eydis, Empress of the Dark Territory, allow me this one request."

"...Stand, Jaymes." Jaymes lifts his head up, seeing that Eydis had walked over to him. Holding herself up by holding on to the desk, Eydis watches as he stands up. For the first time in a month, he's within the grasp of her arms, but she holds that desire back for a while longer. "If that is your wish, then I accept. Take Sylvie and Cordelia with you as planned. She's right, she's not ready for the throne, not like we were any more prepared. But I feel like the concept of leadership may be best learned from you, not me. And...she deserves to be with her father, even if she'll never call you 'father.' I think, deep down, she wants to know the same Jaymes I do, not the one the Dark Territory worships. This is her best chance. But the cult will come for her. They want her in exchange for the poison's cure, for Primus promised revenge on the bloodline of the Crimson Emperor. So... Promise me, if nothing else, you'll protect our daughter."

"I swear on my life that I will see to it that you will see her again. And we will find the cure to the poison and save you, too."

"Good... Then there's one other thing. Before the attack, the Dark Council and I were notified of a rebelling connected to the cult. The four of you may not be enough, and I doubt young Cordelia has control over her family's power to call on wayfarers. So, once your business on Admina is handled, I'll send you with a force of your own. A team of young warriors who Sylvie can lead when you're gone. Two of them are the young knights who escorted you, Log and Dorothy. The others, Notte and Rano, will be summoned, but I'd like for you to begin as quickly as possible."

Jaymes glances over to the wall behind the desk where a clock shows the time. "Kureha and I only have four hours before we return to our world. So if preparations are not done... I rather they not dawdle. Where are we going ?"

Eydis points to the map of the Dark Territory sprawled across her desk. "To the south, where the soldier who reported an ambush was initially stationed. We will investigate a possible uprising of the giants. Afterward, it's up to you."

Jaymes nods and closes his eyes to think. "Hmm... I don't know about leaving inexperienced kids to investigate and fight their kinsmen, nevermind the cult. Any other experienced warriors who can guide them?"

"And weren't we 'inexperienced kids' two centuries ago?" Eydis giggles, knowing he has no argument for that. "They'll be fine as long as you guide them, but there will be other soldiers. I know two who who gladly aid you, knights under Deep Freeze in the secret chamber. Now I should introduce you to the others. For reasons, I won't reveal your identity. And as you say, we are pressed for time. We'll bring everyone back inside and bring them up to speed. But first..." Eydis takes a single step in Jaymes' direction and leans her body against him. Her head snuggles in the crook of his neck and her arms wrap around him. At last, Eydis the Empress fades, allowing Eydis the woman to release the feelings she's contained.

"Despite the circumstances, I'm so happy you're here. Allow me this selfish moment."

"Take as much time as you need. I...need this selfish moment myself."

"Jaymes... Please save me. I don't want to leave Sylvie alone just yet, and if I am to die... I want a warrior's death. But beyond that, I just want more time with my child."

A hand comes up to her hair, softly stroking it up and down. "I...no, Sylvie and I will save you, Eydis. Count on it."

"...Thank you, Mister Mage Knight."