21st day of the 7th Month – HEC, 372

The Mountain range at the Edge, inside a tunnel

"G-Guys..?"

The horror in her voice. The desperation. It was something that he'd never heard before in his life, and quite frankly he wished he never had. It was too raw, too timid that it took every will in his body not to falter, simply wanting to comfort her.

It was the eyes that hurt him the most, hoping for something that he knew could not come true.

Rather than allow himself to succumb to that same dread gripping his chest, he summoned what little embers of bravery that he had in him, even if he knew he was just lying to everyone and even himself at that point. He smiled back. Shakily. "W-What're you worried 'bout? It's fine! Everything's fine."

Everything was not fine.

Today had been exciting. It started out that way, what with the prospect of finding some ice in the deeper ends of a cave for some silly reason—in fact, going on their own without any adults to supervise them made it seem like an adventure. A rather thrilling one, in fact. And it had gotten to their heads. They'd been careless.

And now, as far as adventures had to go, this one is turning out to be one without a good ending, as far as he could tell.

This is bad. This is so, so very bad.

Perhaps it was a lack of knowledge on the cave's interior. Never had they themselves stepped foot in there before as well to properly explore the layout, so they'd gone in completely blind and hopeful.

Getting lost in the cave was bad enough. It was dark, and though they'd managed to illuminate their path with a Sacred Art incantation (Alice had to lead the way, then, because she was the only one who was well-versed with the spells), it didn't change the fact that they were pretty much without an actual direction. They hadn't thought to leave some sort of trail they could follow back, too, so they'd practically went in without any way to properly head out.

And now, as Kirito traced the line that divided the world of darkness from theirs with his eyes, he felt like he'd swallowed lead. It was a clean split between cavey grey and rotten green—what was fine and what was sinful to touch, and he didn't need to be a genius to know that just a bare milli-Mel of her finger had accidentally come into contact with the soil of the opposing world.

To the average person, Kirito would rightfully admit that he wasn't the most well-versed in the Human Empire's teachings on religion and laws. Too many, he would whine, even if Alice would call it as an excuse to go and do silly things like sleeping under the Gigas Cedar or dive into a river or some other nonsense. To that, he would say…

Yeah, he got nothing on that. She was never wrong almost all the time.

But even so, there was one particularly important rule from the «Taboo Index» that the three friends had been especially careful to take note of as they traversed this cave system, having gone over it with the girl of their group and being sure to not violate it.

One should never, under any circumstances, touch the soil of the Dark Territory.

And Alice had, even if by sheer accident, had gone and done that.

'Crap, crap, crap…' He was certain people would be having words with him if they found out that he was swearing, even if in his head. But right now, panic was too strong to keep him from cursing. They'd messed up, and Alice had technically committed a taboo. Even still, he tried to ignore it. "Alice, you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?"

"I-I'm fine," she muttered back, even as she allowed him to pull her up to her feet. Her hand shook lightly as she dusted off her skirt, frowning. "And you guys?"

"W-We're fine…" Eugeo muttered back, looking at the girl before his eyes met his. "Kirito?"

"I'm good too…"

There was silence between the three friends, trying to understand just what had happened. And Alice, he could tell, was still staring out at the realm of darkness, still focused on the figure clad in armour and laid out on the ground, bleeding out into his homeland's soil. Kirito grimaced, knowing that his unmoving state meant that it was only time before he expires.

To think they'd see blood for the first time was that of the enemy. And yet, in that moment, watching as the human-like entity from the Dark Territory was cut down by an Integrity Knight (in fact, what was an Integrity Knight doing out there in the first place..?) and collapse to the ground, slowly dying…

All they could think of was how they wanted to save him.

But Kirito knew that, to reach out for him meant having to traverse these cursed grounds, and that is to go against the «Taboo Index». Doing so is nothing short of suicidal and a promise of a criminal's brand.

One thing lead to another, Alice tried to reach out to help him, they'd tried to stop her… and she fell, hand touching the opposing soil by just the barest amount.

Kirito pushed that thought out of his mind as he patted his friend's shoulder, getting her attention. Seeing the naked fear in her expression, he tried once more for a smile. He wasn't sure if he even managed to make a proper one, but right now, she needed placation. "Hey. Don't think about it. Let's focus on getting out first, okay?"

"T-True. It's probably getting dark right about now. If we stay out for too long, I'm sure or parents are going to get upset," Eugeo nodded with a timid hum. "A-And I guess Sister Azalia would get mad at you, Kirito…"

"No kidding. Any mess ups on my part and she'd nag my ear off for days… In any case, let's ditch this place. Focus on what we can do at the moment."

The two blondes nodded back, and Kirito simply took that as his cue to pick up Alice's basket and hand it to her. She accepted it gingerly, mumbling a silent 'thank you', completely different from her usual cheeriness. He couldn't even find it in himself to blame her but… damn it.

What does breaking the «Taboo Index» actually mean? All that the boy knew was that it was the absolute law of the world, and to break that meant severe punishments. There was no knowing what that actually meant since no one had ever broken the law, so they'd never met anyone who'd lived to tell the tale.

And that made him pause, feeling sick. What if there had been people who'd broken the «Taboo Index», and were… killed?

'There's no way they'd actually do that…' He thought silently to himself. 'Right?'

All they ever have are stories. Wild conjurations of possible consequences of breaking the «Taboo Index», yet with no accurate accounts of what had ever transpired, there was no knowing. He just wished it didn't have to happen to Alice.

As he watched Eugeo fret over the girl's wellbeing, with her waving off his concerns as best as she could, he had to stop himself from showing any fear on his expression. To kill a young girl such as herself… even that would be too cruel. There was simply no way the Integrity Knights would stoop so low.

Whatever. Right now, they need to get out. As long as they can find their way out right now, they can figure out what next to—

"G-Guys?" Alice's voice was suddenly panicked, and the two boys' gazes snapped towards her. They found her looking pale, blue eyes wide as she pointed shakily at the ceiling. She said not another word.

Kirito's brows furrowed, but as he turned on his feet to stare at the sight that she was pointing at… Eugeo's gasp from beside him properly conveyed their collective shock.

It looked like the very fabric of space was being distorted, spun about like some sort of water current. Kirito tensed, stepping forwards and putting himself in between the warped space and Alice. Something deep down screamed for him to grab his friends and run, instinct telling him that something bad was about to happen.

And then, white flesh peeked through, and Kirito felt every hair on the skin of his neck stand on end.

'What in the world..?'

Purple miasma encircled a head as white as paper. It was human, but everything about it made Kirito feel lightheaded, body tenser than a drawn bow. He couldn't tell if it was an actual person, but from the lack of features and the fact that its lidless eyes were nothing more than a pair of glossed white that reflected no soul or emotion, it felt like they were looking at something that intended to imitate a living human.

Or perhaps it was a human once, a long time ago, and had lost every bit of humanity.

"What… is that..?" Eugeo muttered, confirming that it wasn't just him seeing a white disfigured head floating in the air.

"No idea… And I don't like it one bit," Kirito spat. "It doesn't look like it's here to fight. What is it trying to do..?"

[Singular unit detected. ID tracing.]

The three tensed as the creature articulated actual words in their Sacred language. And yet, there was no emotion in its words; nothing that made it seem as if it was actually human. It felt like a machine. A puppet with a voice box.

Despite that, he could tell that its gaze was fixed solely on Alice, never focusing on the other two boys. The girl in question whimpered behind him.

[Coordinates fixed. Report complete.]

Just as it had appeared so suddenly, so too did the purple miasma move towards the centre, whisked away into nonexistence. There was nobody now save for the three of them in the tunnel, watching the area where that head floated cautiously and with an ominous feeling boiling in the pits of their guts.

"That thing… Was that a human?" The girl voiced out, looking between her friends with concerned eyes.

"No idea, and I don't like what it said," muttered the ravenette. "Coordinates fixed..? That sounds like a geographical thing, when you're trying to locate an object's bearings. Was it trying to…"

The words went unsaid, and the three friends stood motionless in the tunnel, poring over the words that the disfigured head had spoken. It didn't sound particularly threatening, but there was no denying just how bad they sounded. How dangerous the implications might just be.

Had it just tried identifying her location? Is it tracking her down right now? There's no way that's happening… right?

He shook away the thought. Standing around here worrying about that monster's words would get them nowhere.

"Right now, we need to head back home," he said, loud enough to drown out his own thoughts and to make sure his friends could hear him properly. They turned their gazes towards him, and he simply nodded back. "Come on. I'm pretty sure none of us want to stick around any longer."

None of them said anything, but he was pretty sure he wasn't the only one not in the mood for conversation. All they wanted now was to get as far away from here as possible.


The return to Rulid was… quiet, to say the least. Stiflingly so. Kirito was the kind of person who could, rambunctious and loud as he is amongst the three, still appreciate some amount of silence from time to time. This

He hadn't felt this uncomfortable ever in his entire life.

By the time they'd reached the village, having to traverse the forest once more, the light of Solus was steadily dipping past the hills, painting oranges and reds across the sky. Kirito would have found the sky a fascinating sight right about now, but all he could focus on at the moment was the pit forming in his stomach.

"You sure you know how to keep those ice from melting right away?" Kirito asked as he passed the basket he'd been carrying, filled to the brim with the very reason why they'd gone out on today's 'adventure' in the first place, to Alice.

"Don't you worry too much. I know what to do," she was smiling once again now, though having been friends since birth, he could tell that she was forcing herself to smile, if the way her lips seemed strained was any indication. It didn't reach her eyes. "See you guys tomorrow?"

Tomorrow. Kirito was certain that there would be a 'tomorrow', but would it be a typical day like any other? Would they see each other and everything would be fine like always?

For some reason, it didn't feel like that would be possible. Being eleven, he'd thought the worst thing he'd have to worry about was getting caught by Sister Azalia trying to steal some apples from the pantry or something. Never in his life did he think things would turn out like this.

He met his childhood friend's gaze and saw fear, desperation. Her little hands that clutched her basket were shaking. Barely noticeable, but more than enough for him. Out of the corner of his vision, Eugeo seemed equally bothered.

"…Yeah," deciding to keep quiet forever would just worry her, and Alice didn't need that right now. Instead, he folded his arms behind his head and smiled back. "See ya' guys tomorrow then!"

"Mmhm… Tomorrow, then," Eugeo nodded as well, smiling weakly at the other blonde before turning on his heels, heading straight for his home. Alice did the same and headed for hers, while Kirito made his way to the church in the town.

One might have considered him a member of the faith, but that was simply not the case. The head nun in village overlooked the proceedings of both the church and the orphanage. And he was one such child who lived there.

The boy didn't exactly remember the details. All that he knew was that, in the year of 361 H.E.C. (Human Empire Calendar)—the same year Eugeo and Alice were born—he was found in the woods at night by hunters who were patrolling the outskirts of the village. Something about wanting to keep track of the number of wolves in the woods, or something. He wasn't sure.

Either way, he'd been fortunate enough that he was found before he got turned into wolf dinner. He doubted he would have even been appetizing enough for a bunch of beasts.

Once he was brought into the village, with no idea as to whom his parents were—or where he'd even come from, for that matter, although some guessed that he came from Eastabarieth, considering how most of its residents have black hair—he was taken into the care of the church. And he's been under its care for eleven years.

Soon enough, he found himself standing at the foot of the church. Its grey walls are unchanging and the roof was recently painted brown, though the signs of wear on its structure and the chipped wood of the window sills is a clear sign that everything might need some work done on them in the future.

Even so, despite how it's no fancy house like Alice's or Eugeo's, it's home all the same.

Before he had the opportunity to push the doors open, someone else beat him to the punch, and the elder face at the door makes him flinch lightly. "A-Azalia!"

"Kirito," she said dryly. Despite her years and the grey bun she sported, there was no denying how straight she stood, how tall she was and how healthy she'd proven herself to be. Probably necessary, considering that she runs the church and has to take care of kids on a daily basis. "And where did you go today, exactly, young man?"

"Er…" Lying was never his strong suit, and when it came to her, it seemed as if she could just see through him. So, with no other choice, he went for the relatively-true-but-also-not-the-whole-story answer. "I was… on an adventure with Eugeo and Alice?"

"An adventure?" The quirked brow gave away her curiosity. "Really?"

"Y-Yeah! Ask them if you don't believe me. We went out together," and then, he hastily added: "O-Of course, we finished our callings first! It's not like I'd forget that, obviously."

"Hmm… Well, I suppose there's no reason for me to chastise you if you've at least made sure to get your work done before you play," she sighed, not noticing how he'd let out a breath of relief. "Even so, would it kill you to come earlier?"

"S-Sorry. We got caught on… stuff."

It was clear that his excuse didn't exactly convince her. And this isn't the first time he's done this. "…Right. Well, you're here now, and there's no use keeping you any longer. Go take your bath, and then head straight to bed afterwards. No dilly-dallying, child."

Hastily nodding at the sister, Kirito slips past her and enters the church. He's met with a warm atmosphere that leaves him feeling a little better, but nothing quashes that feeling of dread in his gut.

Not the bath, and certainly not tucked away in his bed. Sleep does not come easily, and all he sees is the albino monster's gaze, piercing through his soul.


22nd day of the 7th Month – HEC, 372

Rulid Village

Sleep never came to him that night.

He'd expected it, but being unable to sleep felt uncomfortable. He must have twisted and turned on his bed the entire night, sweating and breathless and clawing at his bed.

It was why he was up early today. Earlier than he had any right to be, honestly, and even the sister and the other kids were asleep. But she'd never specifically said that he was unallowed to be up before she was, so he'd gotten a bath and headed out in fresh new clothes, yawning lightly. He could have had breakfast if he'd waited for everyone, but he supposed he could just eat later, then.

The rest of the village was still asleep, it seemed, although the faintest hints of sunlight was visible past the cliffs. Fair enough. He wasn't too sure what time it was, but the bell in the village hadn't exactly tolled yet. It's chilly, and he wishes he has a coat to put over himself.

Looking out and finding the faint embers of torches around the place, he finds himself still restless. He needed something to distract him, so he'd planned to get to the Gigas Cedar and start working on it. There was no rule forbidding him from starting early, only that one has to reach an amount of cuts every day before they can actually stop.

"Kirito?" The boy perked up at the mention of his name. Turning towards the source, he found flaxen hair and green eyes staring at him in surprise.

"Oh, hey," he waved back, a bit lamely. "You, uh… couldn't sleep?"

"You too, huh?" Sighed the other boy. "To answer your question, no, not really. I didn't really feel like it…"

Neither did he. Not after what happened the day prior; Kirito wasn't even sure if he'd even managed to get a single wink of sleep last night. He wondered if he was sporting some eyebags right about now, but he could hardly be bothered with that.

"Yeah…" Staring off into the distance, he let out a little hum. "I'm, uhh, thinking about heading out early. Get started working. I haven't exactly gotten breakfast, but I don't think I'm really in the mood for some food. How 'bout you?"

"Mmm… Well, I suppose I could do that," he nodded, likely not having anything else to look forwards to. "I'll go with you too."

"Cool."

So they headed out together, much earlier than they would have ever done before. Any amount of distracting themselves from what had transpired the day prior was welcomed, and as they came upon a familiar tree that towered into the firmaments, he could only find himself equally exasperated and in submission to his situation.

Given the calling of cutting down the Gigas Cedar, which has seen six generations of tree fellers before the two boys, was certainly a damned shame. Especially considering the fact that, after all their efforts, there simply is no sign of the tree getting chopped down any time soon.

The axe delivered to them from Centoria was supposedly made of dragon bones, and that meant that it should have the appropriate authority and strength to match the Gigas Cedar's. In theory, it should be possible to cut it down.

Somehow, he feels like that's nothing more than a big fat lie.

The axe does next to nothing against this monster of a tree. He'd spent years alongside Eugeo trying to cut the tree down, but there was exactly nothing to show for their efforts.

Still, this is their job, and who were they to decide that they didn't want to do this?

Sighing, axe in hand and body in position, he delivered his first strike of the day.

Soon enough, Kirito and Eugeo find themselves in the groove. The rest of the day is spent working on the tree, rotating between the two fellers whenever one got too tired. Two thousand strikes over the morning and afternoon sounds like slavery work (and it felt like it, too), but at the very least, they get to switch with one another if one wanted a break.

Not like the job gets done any quicker, but at the very least, he's not alone out here where he could potentially be attacked by wild animals!

He wished he'd gone and gotten his breakfast, though, but staying cooped up in the church without doing anything would have meant that he would have had nothing better to do than think about this entire situation. And right now, he wanted it out of his mind as much as possible.

He glanced at his best friend, watching him methodically swinging his axe into the indent made into the tree's side. No doubt, he was equally perturbed by yesterday's events as him—after all, it had been a day of so many firsts for the three of them.

Seeing the Dark Territory. Watching a person die. Accidentally witness a 'violation' of the «Taboo Index». That… thing.

He bristled from the thought that, perhaps, something bad was going to happen. He doubted it wouldn't, because it was made plain and clear that Alice would receive some form of punishment. But even so, he hoped it was nothing too severe. It just wouldn't be fair…

As Eugeo tapped out and switched places with him, and he was just about to begin on his five hundred and second strike, however, Kirito felt something nag in the back of his head. Something like a ghostly sensation that was, as soft as a feather's touch as it was, enough to tell him that something was wrong.

It was the sound of something in the distance that gave him pause. Judging by Eugeo's expression, he wasn't the only one who noticed it. When they turned to look at the sky, they'd expected something mundane like rain.

He wished that was the case.

"What… is that?"

"…Looks like a bird. Wait a minute."

The silhouette couldn't have been that of a bird, because it was just too massive to be a bird of any sort. As it got closer, however, and the beating of its wings grew louder and rustled the leaves of the forest, Kirito and Eugeo both went pale in the faces as they recognized the silver plating that guarded the beast's forehead and neck.

It was a dragon.

And only a specific group of people here in the Human Empire rode dragons; Integrity Knights.

The figure got closer, and true enough, a knight in silver armour and a white cape was saddled upon the dragon. Light bounced off his person, giving off a powerful image.

Eugeo gasped, recognition shining in his eyes. "T-That's the one from yesterday..!"

The Integrity Knight they saw yesterday, who'd fought and killed the dark-cladded knight from the Dark Territory. The ravenette gulped, watching the incoming silhouette for only a moment longer before it soared overhead, kicking up gusts that blew harshly against their clothes and hair. It continued moving forwards, its destination clear and true.

He was moving for their village.

Coordinates fixed.

"The heck is a knight coming to our village? I mean, it's not like there's anything interesting going on at the moment—"

"K-Kirito! Y-You don't think..?"

There's never been an incidence where an Integrity Knight's ever come to their backwater village before. In fact, an Integrity Knight is never usually sighted in towns and the like, for their duty requires them to patrol around the Human Empire for work. The only thing that he could think of, that would warrant the arrival of one in a village is…

Realization dawned on him. Slowly, onyx eyes widened in horror as he followed the trajectory of the wyvern. "Ah..! Damn it! Come on, Eugeo!" He yelled, lugging his axe over his shoulder as he rushed forwards. His flaxen-haired friend cried out his name before giving chase, yet all they could think of was their friend. 'Hang on, Alice..! We're coming!'


Kirito was sure he'd never run this hard before in his life, and by the time he and his friend had reached the village gates, both of them were breathing heavily. Despite that, they pushed on, wanting desperately to reach Alice's house.

The village wasn't small by any means (seriously, it takes waaay too long to get from one end to the other), but having lived here his whole life, he'd practically memorized the entire design. It didn't take long to reach Alice's house, which wasn't the most fitting definition of 'grand', but it was certainly larger than the other houses in the village, befitting the fact that her parents are tasked with watching over this village.

But even then, it wouldn't have been impossible to find her house considering all the commotion outside.

A massive crowd had already formed outside of the girl's house by the time they'd arrived, seemingly a perimeter to keep anyone from getting closer. And that meant that the two boys were unable to get closer to their friend's house, palpitation and concern for their friend causing them to try and look over the sea of heads to find her.

Kirito was the first one to spot her, noticing her in the crowd, holding a basket. Her expression of shock was clear as day, and he could tell just how tightly she was clutching the handle of her basket. He didn't waste a moment to wade through the crowd to reach her side, Eugeo right behind him.

"Psst, Alice..!"

"Eh?" Snapped out of her stupor, she looked to the two boys. "Kirito? Eugeo? What are—"

"Shh..!" He silenced her quickly, surprising her. "Listen, we need to get you out of here. You can't be here right now..!"

"W-What? What are you—"

"Don't ask..!" He reached for her hand, pulling her with him. He peered over his shoulder, finding an appropriate escape route. "Come on, we need to get out of here..!"

Before they could begin leaving, the sound of metal clanking heavily against the road drew their eyes to the centre of the square. They'd noticed the dragon, and its rider had just gotten off of him. A massive and imposing being, he was, clad from head to toe in silver metal and a cape. There was no way to distinguish his features in any way, what with the bulky helmet guarding his head, but there was no mistaking him to be a terrifying man.

Kirito gulped. An Integrity Knight, here in their village… Stories of people who have achieved knighthood by the Axiom Church for their deeds and accomplishments have painted a picture of noble men and women in service to the people. Who are considered the paragon of humanity, unbending despite whatever obstacle stands before them.

He'd never thought that he'd be afraid of someone who technically represented safety. Right now, all he felt was anything but safe.

"Sir knight," dark hair and trimmed beard, dressed in regular clothes and hard eyes staring forth at the armoured man. Alice's father, Gasupht, certainly looked nothing like his children, considering how they took after their mother more than him. He bowed respectfully before the knight. "You honour us with your presence. I am Gasupht Zuberg, chief of Rulid Village."

Kirito gulped. Gotta' give props to his friend's dad for somehow managing to stay calm in front of such a daunting person. Guess being a chief, who has to make difficult decisions and deal with all kinds of people on a daily basis, hardens someone pretty well.

"…I am the overseer of Norlangarth, the Integrity Knight Deusolbert Synthesis Seven."

Deusolbert… He clearly looks powerful, there was no denying that—all Integrity Knights must be, he concluded, considering how their responsibility involves defending the human empire from invaders. Kirito felt like trying to fight someone like him would just be a death sentence.

"Forgive us, Sir Integrity Knight, for our lack of preparation in a worthier welcome for one as esteemed as yourself."

"No such thing is required. I am here for no more than official duty," he declared, voice booming across the crowd and permeating with authority. His next words shocked many to their core. "For violating the «Taboo Index», the daughter of Gasupht Zuberg, Alice Zuberg, shall be apprehended, interrogated, and finally executed."

And suddenly, Kirito came to understand what it felt like to have his heart frozen in place.

He'd experienced dread unlike anything he's ever felt in these two days. The knight's words had effectively stripped everything off of his soul, leaving him feeling breathless in a way that he felt sick.

Something caught his arm. Kirito turned back to find Alice's gaze becoming something of fear. Eugeo looked no better, staring in horror at the knight. "A-Alice is… w-why..?"

'Alice, Eugeo…' Gritting his teeth, he forced away his own fear in favour of action, grabbing Alice by the arm. "We can't stay here," he whispered. Both blondes didn't respond, but he pushed on. "Come on, we need to get moving…"

Executed. For accidentally touching the soil of the Dark Territory? What kind of punishment is that? It sounded like a joke, and yet, for all that he knew of this man—who'd slain a knight of the Dark Territory, and had arrived here simply to arrest a girl who'd made a mistake without any intentions of harming anyone—was not here to jest.

He was here to carry out his duty, no matter how stupid it was.

How many others have been killed before her?

"Kirito…" Eugeo's voice was incredibly quiet, panic rich in his tone. "W-What do we do?"

What do they do? This knight had arrived to take their friend away and kill her. The reason was flimsy, pathetic at best, and quite honestly overkill. He glanced over his shoulder one final time, and nodded.

"We need to leave. Now."

"The «Taboo Index»," Deusolbert's voice boomed over the village square once more. "The charge is first book, third chapter, eleventh verse: Trespassing into the Dark Territory."

Damn it..! He really came just for that? He hissed as he continued moving backwards. "Come on, let's get out of here. See that path over there? We need to get there, and move. Fast."

The thought of running away struck a nerve in his friends, but he wasn't risking it anymore. Not if it meant that his friend would have to die. Integrity Knight or no, he had no right demanding someone's death for such a weak reason!

And why would the punishment be death, even? It wasn't like she'd killed someone! Did violating the «Taboo Index», no matter how minor it was, really make her deserve this?

Turning around and grabbing the hands of both his friends, he pushed forwards, intent on getting them out of here.

"I-I… I see. Then I won't waste your time any longer. Allow me to go call my daughter—"

"There would be no need," his words felt like an arrow that pierced straight through his heart, sending a shudder up his spine the moment he uttered his next words. "Because Alice Zuberg is right there."

Fear shot up through his being as everyone around them began to move away, revealing the group of three children that were close to the back. Kirito took in his surroundings; the shocked villagers, the looks of disbelief, his friend's father watching with a mix of sadness and resignation, and his friends frozen in place.

'Damn it..!' Black eyes widen.

The Integrity Knight was motionless, uncaring. "Bring the chief's daughter to me."

There was a hint of motion in the corner of his eyes before two men moved towards the girl, grabbing her by the arms and dragging her out of his grip and towards the knight, forcefully ignoring her pleading looks and pained whimpers.

"Alice!" Kirito yelled, trying to reach for her only to be stopped by a villager.

"A-Alice..!" Eugeo gasped out from beside him, emerald eyes shaking. "T-This can't be happening…"

The two boys watched helplessly as the two villagers brought the girl before the knight and his steed. She looked small before him, completely at his mercy. Alice was not a weak girl, however, and though she looked terrified, he could tell that she was doing her best to try and stay strong for them.

But Kirito hadn't spent years by her side and learnt nothing about her. Stared down by the larger man, she wanted to be anywhere but there.

He watched as Deusolbert offered a binding tool made of leather and iron to the father of the girl. He accepted it with remorse, hesitating for only a moment before he bound his own flesh and blood to the dragon's saddle, unable to meet her pleading eyes.

This… This is really happening, isn't it? A single day out, with one single mistake made, and now their friend is…

"Damn it..! Wait!" He found himself pushing through the adults, screaming loud enough to draw everyone's gazes to himself. The knight, his best friends and the father all stared at him, red in the face and panting a little. Still, he willed himself to continue. "You… You can't arrest her! This is all a mistake! Alice didn't do it on purpose! She fell by accident and touched the land with the tip of her fingers! You can't call that a crime!"

He could feel them. Feel everyone's eyes on the back of his head as they tried to figure out what this idiotic kid without any parents was trying to do. Arguing with an Integrity Knight? Trying to defend a girl who'd broken the «Taboo Index»?

He can't let the knight take her away! He needs to understand that this was all just a misunderstanding! If the punishment could be eased, even if a little bit, then..!

As if his words had reached the man, his helmeted face slowly turned towards the boy. Past the pitch black abyss that masked his face, a single bronze eye peered at him mercilessly.

"Is there any need for further acts?"

Those simple words felt like a bucket of cold water dumped onto his being. The three children froze up at the words, unable to believe what they were hearing. He… He wasn't joking. He was, honest to goodness, speaking nothing but the absolute truth.

And he believed the knight. Knew so because the man had already proven himself to be the kind of no-nonsense character all this while. He'd come here on duty, and there were no other feelings on the matter. Strictly professional, even if it meant being cruel and heartless.

The «Taboo Index» is absolute. Any violation, no matter how small it is, warrants an arrest and execution. There was no dancing around this fact.

"Then… Then we committed the same sin too!" He yelled back, unwilling to let it end there. "We were with her at that place! So take us with you too!"

Alice's blue eyes seemed to widen in shock, as if she couldn't believe him having said that. He probably wouldn't have either if he was in her shoes, but he couldn't accept this! Couldn't accept being bystanders while someone important to him has to suffer for his mistake.

And yet, nobody said anything. Nobody made a move to protest against the knight. Nobody tried to help him. All of them had seemingly surrendered to his will, all fixed to their places and accepting this as if it was destiny. It was enough that he could feel his ire spike, turning towards the chieftain.

"Uncle Gasupht, you can't be serious! You're really going to just give away your daughter, just like that?! Why are you just listening to him?! She's innocent!" He was screaming his voice hoarse now, he knows that, but Alice mattered more than a sore throat. "It's not wrong if it isn't done purposedly! It was an accident, so please, don't let him take her away! And all of you," he turned around to look at everyone else. "Why are you just doing nothing, either?! What's wrong with all of you?!"

No one moved. No said a word. No one was there to support him.

This… This is bad. Kirito met his friend's gaze, seeing the resigned look on her face. She was doing her best to smile for him, he realizes now, but that… that's not what he wants. Her smile is filled with pain, with acceptance. With sadness.

He wants Alice to smile happily. He wants Alice here with them. For the three of them to go on more stupid adventures, to be doing things together and spending the rest of their days together.

This… This can't be happening..!

The knight had regarded him only a moment longer before finding him boring, choosing to turn his back on him and preparing to ride his dragon. Kirito feels his grip on his axe tighten to a point where he could tell that his palms would blister. But the pain is secondary to him at that point, as adrenaline surges to an impossible high and his body moves without him even thinking.

His voice reaches his ears a second later, realizing then that he'd begun screaming.

Eugeo's voice reaches him afterwards. "Kirito!"

'What am I doing?' A part of him asks as he charges foolishly at the armoured individual, axe held high and poised to strike. The knight slowly turns himself to regard the boy once more. 'I'm going up against someone who can easily kill me if he so much as lifts a finger. What the hell am I doing?'

Running straight for his death? Trying to play hero? Wanting to brand himself a criminal right in front of everyone?

No… That was not it. Right now, nothing mattered but saving his friend. That was the only thing that mattered right now! Even if it meant going up against an Integrity Knight! Even if it meant he was going to get himself hurt in the process.

And then, he watches as the Integrity Knight raises his gauntleted arm upwards. Fingers outspread and aimed right at him, the world begins to slow itself to the boy as he watches in awe as the world bends itself to create a blade of air that rushes right at him.

What is that?

He doesn't see it much like the movement of water, yet the flow is clear to him. It's like invisible hands coming together to shape clay. They are threads, interconnected together and bound to the heart of the one who wills his «Incarnation» to life—why does he know that? What the hell is «Incarnation»? How is he seeing it?

And… why does he feel his soul—

He doesn't have time to ponder on that question a little longer before it slams into his body. Kirito hacks from the force of a hammer-like swing to his ribs, feeling the air ripped out of his lungs as he's sent flying backwards like a ragdoll. The Dragon Bone Axe is flying out of his grip, and his back crashes against the concrete—the impact makes his vision explode for a moment, dots fazing in and out of his vision as he rolls a few times until he comes to a stop.

Someone is screaming out his name. Or is it more than one person? Must be Alice and Eugeo, then. They're… calling out to him. He tries to respond, but his chest is heavy, his throat coarse. His grip on reality is slowly loosening as his vision begins to blur.

'N-No… I can't… stop..!'

His hand reaches out for his axe, clawing in the dirt and drawing up nothing but gravel and dust. His breath is coming to him once more, but too slowly to make a difference. The world is losing shape and colour in his eyes, and his bones feel like nothing more but loaded steel.

No amount of mental commanding is enough to make his body move. No amount of trying to call out Alice's name is enough to draw out his voice. No amount of breathing is making him feel better.

The last thing he sees before the darkness swallows him is Alice's tearful crying, as she's hoisted off the ground like an object, and the dragon disappearing into the distance.


"…Really? Couldn't have come up with something a little more original?"

"Come now, it's not that bad, is it?"

"I really hoped that you, as the father, would be able to come up with a good name for our children. Somehow, I'm not even surprised by the fact that you don't. Naming was never really a particular skill that you have, and it seems like that hasn't changed."

"Ouch, that sort of hurts… Then tell me, my beautiful queen. What sort of name would you like to give our children?"

"H-Hey! D-Don't talk like that, it's weird."

"Hah! Why does that, of all things, embarrass you? Well, fine. Did you come up with an idea? Or at least a concept of what you'd want to name them."

"Hmm… Well, when I think of our children, I'd want to give them a name that they can live up to. Something that represents them as a person, as an individual. Just like Eugeo, remember? His name means gentleness, hard-working, and honesty."

"A person's name is sort of like a prayer for them, yes. I get that."

"Mmhm. So, for a boy, I'd want something that means… courage. I'd want him to have his father's courage, although it would be nice if he wasn't as hot-headed as you sometimes. And he would have a strong sense of justice. To want to help everyone he sees."

"And our daughter?"

"Umm… Maybe she'd be the older one, you know? She could be really smart. Like, incredibly smart. Beautiful, too. And she would be gentle and kind with everyone. Strong, however, just like you—I wouldn't want her to be the kind of girl who'd let everyone step on her head without a care. I'd want her to be strong in the sense that she's willing to help anyone who needs it, but push back if people try to shove her aside."

"Damn. Those are quite the characteristics. You're basically saying you want her to be you."

"Wha—No! I did say how I'd want our children to possess some qualities from you, remember? Don't just make those sorts of assumptions."

"Right, right. I'm sorry, love. I'll be better."

"…A-And… maybe not as flirtatious as you are? Honestly, I feel like, the older we are, the bolder you get."

"Can't help it. I'm married to the most beautiful woman. Want to deny that?"

"…I suppose that's fair to say…"

"Heh, told ya'. And don't you worry, alright? I'll think up of some names. Promise."

"Haha… Okay. I trus̸̡͎̍t̷̮͌̋ ̴̳̭̠̩̽̔̏̏ý̴̛̻̯͕̗̽̚ͅó̴̫̜̰͖̤͕̭̘͌ụ̵̧͙̟̓̑͗̈́̓̒̊͐."

The words begin to fade away like static, only for silence to engulf his being. It feels like his soul has suddenly entered a state of non-existence, dropped into a void of silence that leaves him breathless and unfeeling for a moment.

And then, every single one of his senses boom like a ruptured bubble as his being is snapped back into place.

There's no command required before his eyelids peel back, obsidian eyes wide as he took in his surroundings. Something screams at him, and he feels as if he should be in a white room, a needle stuck in his arm and complicated machinery fixed to his person in an attempt to keep him alive as poison is pumped within his veins.

The mirage is ripped apart, bringing him back to reality. Instead, he finds himself lying on a bed in a little quaint room. The wooden walls are familiar, and the window with blue curtains that he knows his friend's sister had put together by hand allowed some amount of sunlight through—although, judging by how dim the room was, it must be incredibly early in the morning.

"Kirito..!" A soft voice gasped from beside him, prompting him to roll his head to the side. A youthful face framed by flaxen hair contorts into relief, green eyes filled with joy. "Thank the goddesses you're alright..!"

"Eugeo..?" He muttered back, groaning a little. It feels like someone's pounding the back of his skull or something. "Ow… I feel like I ran laps around the village and then proceeded to throw myself over a cliff… Did I do all of that?"

The boy chuckled back, if only a little. "No, no, nothing like that. Also, really? Throwing yourself off of a cliff? You do realize that would kill you..? Ah, what am I saying? I feel like you'd actually do that and still come out all fine."

"That… sounds like a foreshadowing… I don't like that."

"Then don't think about doing it, Kirito. In any case, do you need anything? I can go get some ice for you. Maybe it'll help? Or a hot towel?"

"Urgh… N-No, no, I think I'll be fine," he looked past his friend's shoulder, taking note of the familiar room's layout. Not necessarily one that he'd frequented much, but certainly one he'd seen once or twice. "Say… why am I in your room? Did I accidentally knock my head outside of your house or something? Tell me that's not the case, because that'd be really…"

The lack of response felt sharp to him. Sharper than the pain he was experiencing across his body. Enough so that it causes his words to trail off, and as he looked to his friend…

The saddened look causes the pit in his stomach to grow.

"Eugeo..? What happened?" He didn't answer immediately, prompting him to slowly push himself up into a sitting position. "Eugeo? Speak up. Come on, tell me what's going on."

"You've been unconscious for two days."

Two days? His eyes widened briefly before he paused to think on how that happened. He hadn't overworked himself—if anything, he trusted his physical strength to be pretty good, considering the physical labour he does on a daily basis. So there's no way…

And then it comes to him.

Black eyes widen once more before they snapped towards his friend. "Alice!" He cried out. "Where is she?!" When his friend didn't answer, the pit bloomed into horror. Enough so that the pain was momentarily ignored as he reached out to grab his friend by the shoulders. "Eugeo, where is she?!"

"…She was taken away by the Integrity Knight…" His words turned his blood into ice. Eugeo grimaced, one hand rising up to shield his right eye. "I'm sorry…"

The words ring once more in his head: To be arrested, interrogated, and finally executed.

No way… There's no way that's happening. He looked back to his best friend, desperately hoping that it had all been a bad dream. But there were no good signs. Not the downtrodden expression or the sheer hurt in his voice. It confirmed the worst for him, and Kirito found himself backing into the bedrest and staring up at the ceiling.

'…Fuck…Fuck..!'

His left hand, clenched tightly into a fist, slams itself into the bedframe.


Author's Notes:

Oho, a new story, after so long a hiatus?

First and foremost, I need to start off by apologizing to everyone. Considering all the stories that I have to work on, to write a new one before I return to those seems pretty insulting. Feels like I've done that plenty of times already, haven't I?

To put it simply, I've been figuring out a way to 'return to writing', so to speak. I've tried out a lot of different stories, practised my writing and work with different styles and genres. And then, I came to the decision that, if I'm going to return to writing stories, I may as well do it with a story that I'm most comfortable with.

It was honestly going to be a My Hero Academia fan fic, or even a Highschool DxD, but those are still in the works.

Plus, holy shit life finds a way to be so busy. The two weeks before this one had been insane, but now, I'm back into the swing of things to focus on my studies, so it should be fine. But hey, that's not what I'm here to talk about. It's this story.

In any case, I'll be using this story as a 'practice run'. To get back into the groove and, hopefully, return to working on my older projects once I'm ready. I've spent too much time reading stories (no joke, I read so much fanfic every day that my parents point it out), it's time I actually get back to writing them. This one will start off a little slow, but don't worry. It'll kick off the ground soon enough.

The story goes that Kazuto wakes up after Alice gets taken away, reuniting with his childhood friend six years later as strangers. But what if he doesn't? What if he remains strapped to the Soul Translator? The story of Kirito, Eugeo and Alice does not end there, and I'll be incorporating ideas I had scrapped for a different story into this one.

On that note, Eugeo's eyes technically appear blue, described as changing between green and blue due to the influence of the light. For the sake of simplicity, Eugeo will henceforth be described as having just green eyes, though there will be moments when they change colours.

P.S. I want to watch Aria of a Starless Night so badly..! Ah well. Someday.