It was happening again.

He stood there, useless. The knight had turned his back on him, his cape billowing with the wind and his white armour hiding the visage of his best friend, who was clasped in iron and chained to his dragon. All he could see of her now was her blue dress and her sunlit hair.

His heart drummed in his ears, his vision wavering as his throat constricted on itself against his will. Sweat fell from his chin, his entire body heavy like lead and his stomach feeling tight. Everything was making him feel sick, and he wanted to close his eyes and simply shut out the noise and the feeling. He wanted everything to end.

Something was in his hands. It was heavy. So heavy. What was he holding? Oh, he knew what it was; the Dragon Bone Axe. He was at the south earlier, at the Gigas Cedar. He had to use this axe to cut it, even if every day never got him closer to anything. Why was he carrying it now?

Oh. Right. He was going to attack the knight with it.

The world blurred. He was running now, his heartbeat becoming unbearable and his legs screaming. Bile rose to the back of his throat, but he clamped down on the feeling of sickness, tunnel vision focused solely on the white-clad knight. Alice was beyond him, but she could be saved. He could do it. He just had to reach her, and—

An invisible force punches into his gut. His world is rocked, just like body, as he flies backwards. Everything is slow in motion. He could imagine his bones breaking, even if they hadn't. But it still hurt like hell; made him feel like he just died. He could hear her, shrieking in horror. He could hear Eugeo, screaming his name. He could hear his heartbeat, beating so fast he wouldn't be surprised if it burst in his chest.

He struck the earth shortly after, and everything clears out for a moment, before sensation is tripled and he feels everything like a sharp knife to his skull.

How many times has this happened? How many times has he tried? How many times has he failed? How many times did he watch Alice get taken away? How many times has he screamed her name many nights later?

How many more… will he keep seeing her get taken away?

He stared at the dragon, soaring away from Rulid, his vision blacking out—

And then, he woke up.

Kirito stared at the ceiling of his room, the taste of dirt still on his tongue and phantom pain radiating across his entire body. His chest heaved with every breath he took, his body slick with sweat. His hand was trembling, as if trying to reach for someone who wasn't even there anymore.

He stopped to breathe, in and out, focused only on the ceiling. Every thought plaguing him grew quieter, the voices tormenting him turning into whispers, until they too were gone.

And then, his voice came out in a groan, one hand reaching up to brush aside the hair blocking his eyes.

"Again, huh..?" A slow, tired chuckle came after. "…At least I'm not going to forget anytime soon."

He forced himself up into a seating position, sheets rustling. His eyes trailed down to his hands, a slight trembling that he wills away when he clenches and unclenches them. He balls them into a fist, as tight as he could go, then releases, relishing the slight numbness and watching the white of his skin return to normal as blood filled the vessels again.

A beam of light struck him at just the right angle, prompting him to look out through his little window. The sky of an early morning greeted him, snow absent for some time now, and he took the time to simply appreciate the quiet beauty outside. It helped to ease his earlier discomfort, his heartbeat slowing down to a calm rhythm.

Everything was… not perfect. But it was okay. There wasn't going to be any problems here. He could still handle it. He'd handled it for three years, after all.

What's another day?

"Alright then…" He muttered to himself, slipping off of his bed and stepping barefoot on the cold floor. He stretched his arms above his head, sighing in relief when a pop resounded from his joints. A smile came once he tapped his cheeks twice. "The world isn't going to wait for anyone… Let's get moving."

Chapter 21

{ Their Dawn }

12th day of the 4th Month – HEC, 375
Rulid Village

"Kirito? You're up already?"

"Morning, Azalia. Yeah, you know how it is."

His lopsided grin went away with a yawn as he took a seat at the table, scratching the back of his head with his free hand. He hears a tut from his caretaker, followed suit by the sound of something wooden clacking against the table in front of him. He peeked his eyes open, and they went wide almost immediately.

A bowl of warm mushroom soup, with thin slices of chicken and herbs peeking out from under the surface. His drowsiness practically evaporated, his hunger invigorated in just a matter of seconds.

"Whoa, this looks good! The chicken must have been from Razie down the corner, huh? You really—Eh?" He paused when a wrinkly hand grasped him under the chin, tilting his head up. A face growing older looked him in the eyes, more strands of silver hair interweaved with her hair and more creases drawn into her thinning skin. And yet, that only accentuated the motherly warmth she exuded, and the naked concern on her face. "Azalia?"

"Are you alright? Your eyes are bloodshot."

"Nightmare," he said, the again going unspoken. She already knew, if the way she frowned any deeper was any indication. He smiled to calm her down. "It's okay, really."

"Kirito, you shouldn't take it lightly."

"Sorry, Azalia, but I've had this since Alice got taken away," he took ahold of Azalia's hand and gently pried it off his face, rubbing slow circles into the back of her palm. "Even when I told Eugeo and Selka, they hadn't gone away or gotten lighter. I still have them every night, and I've sort of learnt to live with them."

"Even so, that isn't healthy," she sighed. She fell silent after, simply watching him. He took that cue to spoon up some soup into his mouth, and he practically melted from the wonderful flavours. Was that a hint of cheese? Damn. "I think I heard you crying last night, but I didn't think to wake you or anything. I should have…"

"I did?" He blinked, instantly releasing his hand that held Azalia's to rub at the underside of his eye. Dry, but the fact that it happened at all was a little embarrassing. He thought he'd stopped that years ago. "Sorry," he muttered.

"Goddesses, boy, I know you're only sorry for worrying me. Don't," she chastised, making him gulp. "If anything, I'd rather find a way to rid the nightmares."

"That'd be nice, but… well, uh, it's like I said. I got used to them. It was a lot worse when it first started—" His stomach fell when the guilt on her face grew, making him panic. "B-But really, it's fine! It doesn't hurt anymore! Er, well, it does hurt still, I'm not trying to lie, but it doesn't hurt as much as it used to. Really!"

He chuckled nervously, averting his gaze. Geez. This was why he'd wanted to keep his nightmare a secret from Azalia; she was too much of a worrywart. But it was impossible to avoid, especially when she found him waking up crying one night two years ago. That was the moment she knew.

She'd looked so hurt back then, blaming herself for having never known.

He'd proceeded to hug her tightly and smiled, if only to get her to stop crying.

"And I think I need them. The nightmares. They keep me grounded. Reminds me of where I failed," his black eyes rose, meeting her gaze steadfastly. "It pushes me to work hard. All so that I never let a tragedy like that repeat itself ever again."

"…Oh, Kirito," she sounded so much older. So tired. That alone had him wincing in on himself. "You're still so young. You aren't meant to be saddling all this weight…"

"I'm fourteen. Not an adult by any means, but you know."

"Exactly. And though you aren't a child either, you were never supposed to deal with this kind of pressure. It's not right."

"I think it's fine. It's nothing that I can't handle. And I'm not alone in facing it," he smiled, a little better now. "I have Eugeo and Charlotte, after all. And… well, Selka, too."

"That's all I can ask for," she sighed, though this time, she was determined not to mention it at all. She schooled her expression into a gentle smile. "Now then, finish up. Once you're done, help me wake the others up."

"You got it!" He proceeded to rush through his food, getting a stern telling-off in the process. He had to say, the soup was really appreciated. It helped keep his body warm, something that he couldn't imagine going without; spring was in full effect, so it wasn't incredibly freezing, but it certainly wasn't summer's level of hot. Hence, it was rather chilly in the spacious canteen. But that was certainly going to change soon.

With ease, he picked up his bowl and spoon and went to the kitchen, washing them as quickly as possible (but making absolutely sure that they were sparkly clean. Azalia would tan his hide if he half-assed it) before properly putting them away.

Azalia had just returned from putting away the firewood outside. She looked surprised when she saw him in the kitchen, everything cleaned up.

"You move quick."

"Heh, well. That's probably the training speaking for itself," just to emphasize, he flexed his arm… which didn't really show much, although it was definitely looking a little more toned compared to last time. Azalia just rolled her eyes.

"These three years certainly have done quite the number on you, I can see."

"Obviously. I'm nothing if not a hard worker. Plus, Fanatio and Charlotte hadn't gone easy on us. This is just the result of years' worth of effort and training."

He paused to take in what he just said, looking down at his arm once more. He hadn't really stopped to consider it at first, but it sure wasn't as lanky-looking as it once was. Sure, people might call it a twig, but feeling it, it was certainly firmer. A far cry from when he'd been a child, so tiny.

Three years. It really has been that long.

A soft chuckle left him as he lowered his arm, combing his fingers through his hair. Three years truly had gone by, and maybe he was just coming to realize that. How he hadn't months ago during New Year's, he wasn't sure, but it was really hitting him here and now.

Once he'd gotten over that realization, he'd proceeded to help Sister Azalia wake everyone up. As it was relatively early, it took some significant effort on his part to make sure everyone got out of their bed to take their baths, but at least they were looking a little awake afterwards.

"Morning, Kirito!"

"Hey, Big Brother! You looking bright as always."

"You sure? Kirito, your eyes are a little red."

"Eh?! K-Kirito, are you sick? Do you need medicine?"

The years had seen him change, and practically everyone else had grown up too. Despite that, they felt hardly different; still childish as ever, though, even if there was the occasional angst and wilder antics mixed in.

They were all still family, though, and he wasn't going to ask for anything different any time soon.

"I'm good, I'm good. Come on, it's time y'all eat already."

He made sure that everyone had already went downstairs. In just a matter of minutes, the canteen was filled to the brim with all his church siblings, their chatter turning the earlier silence into a bustling place. They talked with and over one another, Sister Azalia helped by Raiza and Eri to serve the food and drinks to everyone. He would've helped too, but she'd told (read as: ordered) him to take it easy.

"So Kirito, are you training again today?" Someone asked excitedly.

"Wish I could, but I'll probably be resting," he shrugged back, taking a seat beside Mary, who smiled at him. He returned the gesture. "I was feeling sore the entire time yesterday, so they'd want me to get enough rest just to get better. Honestly, I'm already feeling a hundred percent great already."

"Hopefully, you won't be pushing yourself too much, okay?"

"I promise I won't. Fanatio and Charlotte drilled it into my head to be really careful not to tear a ligament or something."

"Then do your best to make sure you actually heed their advice," Azalia said, setting down bowls of soup in front of the kids. They all thanked her in response. "I won't have you complaining about how much something hurts just because you were careless."

"Yes, yes, I'll be careful," he paused when Eri put down a bowl in front of him. "Oh, I already ate just now."

"Even so, you're a growing boy, and you need all the nutrition."

The ravenette rolled his eyes. "Come on, now. You make it seem like I'm a little kid. You're growing too."

"Well, true, but you need to eat plenty because you're using up a lot of energy. On top of your calling, you have your training," she harrumphed. "So eat up, okay? No take-backsies! You want to look good, don't you?"

"Look good?" He repeated with amusement. "It's for my future calling. It's the be good part, physically-wise, that actually matters. But hey, I'll let you be the judge of that. Do I look good?"

His question prompted a lot of 'Yes you do!' and 'You look amazing, Kirito!' from the boys, which he had to admit was a pretty good boost to his ego. From the girls, though, many of them just looked away from him. Even Eri had gone quiet, though there was no missing the way she was blushing all the way to the tip of her ears. Well, he'll just take it as a 'yes', then.

As everyone ate, he pondered over what he was going to do today. With training and his calling off the table since today was a rest day, he wondered if he was just going to stay inside and hang out with everyone.

Then again, even if he was barred from training, that didn't mean he couldn't go over some notes he'd made in regards to his training—he'd begun writing them from the start to keep track of his progress, though he asked Eugeo to keep both their books since he was afraid he'd lose it in his own room. The sheer look of bemusement on his face that day still gave him a good laugh.

Eventually, breakfast was well and over. Some had left to go visit a friend or a neighbour, while the younger kids opted to stay inside or go out to play. That was his own cue to take his leave, bidding everyone farewell.

"Of course. Take care, Kirito."

"Bye, Kirito! See you later!"

"Say hi to Eugeo for us!"

"Byeeee!"

Laughing happily at the cacophony of farewells, he waved back at them as he stepped foot outside of the church. He shut the door behind himself, turning his head and coming face-to-face with an all-too-familiar face. One that has him smiling wide.

The other boy chuckled good-naturedly, green eyes reflecting mirth. "Someone had quite the morning."

"You try living here for one day and wake up to all their cheer. It's the best feeling ever."

"I can imagine. You look so happy," he sounded so happy himself when he said that. "So, got any plans?"

"Nothing that I can think of, though I thought about going over my journal."

"Geez. Do you really have nothing else on your mind besides our calling and training?"

"I don't really want to hear that from you, of all people," Eugeo flushed from his accusation. Yeah, the both of them were one and the same, and they'd gotten chastised by the knightess so many times on that. He continued on. "And back to your question, yes, I do think of things outside of training. I think about what I can do to help Azalia with around the church," he began listing. "And what to have for lunch, and dinner. And what Selka's studying. And—"

"Okay, okay, I get the point," he couldn't help the snicker when Eugeo groaned. "Well, where you wanna' go, then? The Gigas Cedar?"

"Gigas Cedar it is! Onwards!"

"Haha, alright. Alright."

Three years. Three years have come and gone, and it still feels like not much has ever changed.

Rulid is still the sleepy village that it has been since the start. The people are still working away as they've always been. The world is thankfully as peaceful as it should have been, and he's already lost the need to count the number of days since the last eventful thing.

But, looking at Eugeo, he's reminded once more that things truly have changed. Perhaps not in the grandest of ways… nothing world-shattering or revelations-revealing, but still enough to feel discrete.

When was the last time had he felt like he and Eugeo were shorties? It was hard to look back and imagine that he might have just reached up to his chest once upon a time. Now, though? Well, they aren't the largest of men, but they were certainly different. Taller, still on the thin side of course, and their faces had become just a little more sharper. It was hard to call them children anymore.

'Everyone sure has grown up, huh..? What a strange feeling…'

"Hellooo? Kirito, you in there?"

"I am here," he answered by reflex, ignoring his friend's snort. "Was just thinking about how tall you are."

"What? We're literally the same height."

"Sorry. What I meant to say is, I'm thinking about how much taller we are now, compared to when we were just kids."

"No kidding. The growth spurt hit us hard," that it did. At times, he'd even thought he would lose his balance, considering such a dynamic change in his perspective. His feet could almost reach the end of the bed, in fact. "But hey, it's way easier to swing a sword now, huh?"

"Heh, you got that right. I used to struggle holding it in just one hand. But now? Feels like a dream come true."

The Gigas Cedar has become their usual spot to hang out, even on rest days. Partly because it's become their personal place since they were kids, partly because of the really nice view of the forest that it provided, plus the fact that it was really nice and quiet, and also because it had a lot of space for their training.

Sitting down on a root, he took his journal from Eugeo, who sat right beside him. It was an old little thing; yellowing paper with a leather cover, and a thin rope-like strap that could be wrapped around the book and tied to secure a piece of graphite fitted into wood to it. He undid the knot and flipped the journal open, smiling fondly.

An accumulation of scribbles and doodads throughout his three years of training greeted him. His handwork hadn't been the best, and he doubted it improved all that much, but he found the sketches a little more better. Not true-to-life (his sense of art was abysmal, he would readily admit), but they were good enough to evoke the appropriate images in his mind on how the body works and how to twist the wrist, arms and body when performing a swing. Even Eugeo and the others complimented him on those.

Three years' worth of «Sacred Arts», and «Secret Techniques», and training routines, and sword stances, and technique history, and so much more—all jotted down in this book that was given to him by Sister Azalia, sort of as a gift. He hadn't expected to be keeping it this long. Somehow, he had the feeling that he was going to be keeping it for much longer.

Flipping the pages, he simple enjoyed the nostalgia that came with going through each one. The memories linked with each entry were always simple, and there were a few that were so unremarkable that he may have forgotten bits and pieces of them, but they were still pleasant regardless.

He navigated the book until he reached the «Secret Techniques», which was easily his most favourite subject thus far, with history being a surprising second. That had taken a while to actually get to, and even longer before he got the actual hang of them, since he'd always just swung blindly and hope to hit something. And when he got to that point, he finally realized the issue that he'd noticed since the very start.

Kirito was never meant to fight with both of his hands. He was far more comfortable going single-handed.

He'd never noticed it before because, with the Dragon Bone Axe, he'd gotten used to holding it with both hands. But with the Blue Rose Sword, he'd always felt something innately wrong doing the same with that. But after Fanatio suggested holding it with one hand just like Eugeo, he'd been happier ever since.

"Wow. That's a really good sketch, Kirito."

"Thanks. Yours isn't bad either, you know."

"Please don't patronize me. I literally can't draw to save my life."

"Neither can I, although I guess I see your point. Your arms look like sausages."

Eugeo smacked him in the shoulder, pouting as he laughed. It was a cute drawing, though. He made it two years ago, trying to replicate Kirito's skill. Needless to say, after making Fanatio almost cry out from laughter, he'd never tried to draw ever since.

Returning his attention to his book, he grows a little miffed at the fact that, despite all the techniques he listed down, only three could be executed with just a one-handed sword style; «Azure Wind Slash», «Lightning Slash» and «Lightning Sweep». Everything else were only two-handed sword techniques, much to his chagrin.

'Well, I still learnt them regardless because it's better than nothing. But seriously, why are most sword styles double-handed?'

Despite there being thirty sword styles in existence, there was just a higher focus on double-handed sword techniques. Only a few of them taught single-handed techniques. Then there were other styles that prioritized uncommon weapons like lances and battle axes. It made him recall that one time he'd been at Eugeo's home, when Uncle Gasupht and Sulinea talked about the history and politics behind swords.

He hummed, going through the sword techniques. Most consisted of only one slash, which he felt was a pretty dumb thing. The whole thing about 'beauty of a single strike' was just so… asinine. After all, the enemy dodged that hit, then the poor bastard would be open to a whole world of hurt.

That was what he'd learnt in his battle against the goblins and all those wolf-like monsters inside the Million-Eyed's body. A battle wasn't decided by just one or two swings. It was a high octane moment where blades would clash and the body would move as much as possible, rendering the moment highly chaotic and unpredictable.

Unfortunately, there just weren't many techniques that had more than just one swing. Even amongst the double-handed styles, most of them were just one swing. The pride in that ideology runs deep, it seemed.

"D'you think wars back then were just fought with one decisive blow? Like, they just stood in front of each other, executed one technique at each other, and would repeat that cycle when the next guy comes?"

"I'd hope not. That would be the slowest battle. I'd be bored to death," scoffed Eugeo.

"Well, all their sword styles definitely seem to think otherwise."

"You're not wrong there. There's definitely a matter of pride there that's kept them stuck in this way of fighting for centuries. Kind of pointless, though."

"Precisely. Like, what are—" He was about to give his own two cents on the matter before he noticed something in the corner of his vision. He looked up squinting, Eugeo following suit, and he found himself grinning. "Oh hey, look, it's Fanatio."

Kirito stood up with Eugeo, patting down his trousers and watching the dragon descend. Its landing caused a small tremor, grass dancing with the spreading current. Someone stepped down, and rather than the sound of metal, it was just a simple leather boot. A long skirt slipped down shortly after, her dark purple dress that she wears underneath her armour somehow making her look wonderful.

The woman smiled warmly at them. "Kirito, Eugeo. I had a feeling you two were going to be here."

"Hey, Fanatio," he was caught off-guard when her dragon leaned forwards to nuzzle her face into his cheek. He chuckled, stroking her under the chin. "Yes, yes. It's nice to see you too, Lyra."

"Someone's certainly grown attached to you," chuckled the Integrity Knight, patting her partner on the side. "Must be your charm at work."

"Charm? What charm?"

"Come now. Don't tell me that you've never noticed all the fair maidens in your village liking you—"

"Oh, come ooon," he groaned out. "I got enough of that from Sulinea. And even Eugeo, of all people," he made sure to glare at his best friend, who just smiled innocently. Cheeky brat. "I do not need you saying that kind of nonsense too."

"Oh, trust me. As a woman myself, I could spot out adoration from afar," she then faltered. "Then again, I'm not exactly all that well-versed in the matters of romance myself…"

While she trailed off, muttering about 'how unfair he was' and 'when will he notice?', Kirito was simply focused on taking in Fanatio's figure. And he's got to say… damn. He didn't expect the face underneath the helmet belonged to a woman.

That had been the most shocking discovery that day she'd joined them. Not just for him, but for the entire village—for the entire time that they'd known her, they'd all literally thought that she was a man, what with the way she carried herself and the masculine voice. Turns out, her helmet just had a voice distorter, which was pretty cool. He'd asked her a lot about that afterwards.

Nevertheless, news of Fanatio being a woman had left many speechless, but everyone were nothing if not quick to get over things. Well, except Kirito; he'd literally been questioning his reality for a good while after, much to the knightess's amusement.

Her long, wavy black hair, which had a purplish hue due to the reflection of light, complimented her golden eyes. Long eyelashes fluttered as she winked at her dragon, her true voice melodious and refined, making him wonder if she was a noblewoman of sorts.

And she was a certified badass in his book. With the Heavenly Piercing Sword, she cut an intimidating figure, regal and dutiful. She was the textbook definition of an Integrity Knight.

Honestly, he had a hard time trying to connect her knight persona to her current self, but being able to see this was… well, it made her feel more human, even if she technically was some divine being from up above.

"So," he was brought back to reality by Fanatio's voice, curiosity laced in her tone. "What were you boys doing out here?"

"Chilling. And doing a little bit of studying," he shrugged. "We didn't exactly know what else to do. Plus, this place is really nice to just hang around, so that's that."

"I see. Well, I'm happy to know that you two take after your training seriously, but as always, it does worry me if you're being a little too focused on it."

"Heh, you got us there," he rubbed his nose. "I mean, everything is just really interesting and fun to learn. Can you blame us for wanting to learn so much about it?"

Fanatio looked pleased by his words. "Not at all. I've said this before and I'll say it again: Charlotte and I are delighted to know that you two are able to enjoy the studying process. Most people find it a chore," she took on a lecturing tone after. He and Eugeo shared amused looks. "Only by appreciating it and actively seeking it will one be able to learn better. That is why those who cannot enjoy something will ultimately fail at it. So long as you continue to enjoy what you do, you are guaranteed to learn more efficiently."

"Yes, ma'am," they echoed at once.

"Good. Nevertheless, I do think maybe it's better if you put those aside. After all, it's not like we'll be training today—" She stopped when he raised his arm. Fanatio sighed, albeit without any heat. "Yes, Kirito?"

"Do you know any one-handed sword «Secret Techniques» that have more than one swings?"

"Unfortunately, no," drat. He'd been hoping otherwise. "The mentality of a single strike and beauty is deeply ingrained in the minds of the masses, and it's reflected in the number of techniques that employ that very style. There just aren't any multi-hitting «Secret Techniques»."

"Maaan… That's a real killjoy," he groaned. "If only we could just make our own techniques…"

"Make your own?" Eugeo repeated.

"Yeah. Like, if one thing doesn't exist, why don't you just make it yourself? The very basis behind the principle of creativity and innovation."

"That's… the craziest, yet also most realistic thing you've ever said."

"Honestly, that would be easiest," Fanatio's words had them perking up. "However, do realize that the process of creating «Secret Techniques» isn't a simple one. After all, countless masters had spent years trying to perfect just one technique, only to then be passed down to their disciples, their families and to the rest of the world."

That was one such lesson that Fanatio had briefed them on when they first began studying «Secret Techniques»; that each technique was invented by people who studied the arts of swordsmanship diligently, to the point that some would go on to call them 'sword monks'. They wanted to leave behind nothing but the best to be inherited by others.

Of course, nowadays, people would recognize sword styles based on the family or region it came from. For example, there was the High-Norkia style, coming from the high nobility of Norlangarth. Then, there was the Serlut style, belonging to the Serlut Household. That was obvious.

All in all, to make a technique of his own, he would first need to establish a sword style. And that certainly sounded pressuring; he, through his style and his techniques, would be scrutinized heavily by all who pursue the same field as he does. That was a lot more than he felt he could take on.

"You know what? I think it's time to put the 'act before you think' mentality to use."

"What?" Fanatio blinked. "What do you mean by… Wait, are you really suggesting what I think you're suggesting?"

"Okay, maybe I'm not going to invent a new technique straight away. I'm not a master like you," he shook his head, not missing the way she had to immediately wipe away the smile that popped up at his praise. "So maybe we need to think about it from a different perspective."

"How so?"

"The problem at hand is the fact that all the one-handed sword techniques so far just have one hit. That is the issue. We don't exactly have to invent any new techniques, however. Instead, why don't we take them and try adding more swings?"

Eugeo sweat-dropped at him. "What? That's not how it works."

"Says who? We've never even given it a shot, so how could we possibly know if it'll work or not?" He, on the other hand, felt pretty confident in that. "Fanatio, what're your thoughts on this? Think it can work?"

"I… really don't know what to say," she sighed, in that same way she did whenever he proposed or did something incredibly ridiculous, yet managed to walk away with results. "You have a strange tendency to somehow pull off just about anything when you put your mind to it. You have no idea how infuritating that can be."

"Aw, come on now. Don't say it like that. Making me feel bad over here."

"I'll believe that if you rub that smirk off your face," hah! He'll give her that. "But... well, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious as to whether or not you'd be capable of pulling it off."

"Fanatio, this is Kirito we're talking about," Eugeo said, chuckling. "He'll likely do something beyond our expectations."

"Truly."

"Har-har. I'm so glad to see the two of you are bonding so well," he rolled his eyes. Well, being the butt of the joke every now and then is the least of his worries. "Alright, I'll go get the Blue Rose Sword. Selena?"

'Yes, Kirito?'

"Sorry to bother you, but could you call Charlotte? And ask her to ask Selka if she wants to tag along."

'Of course. The more the merrier.'

He could feel her presence disappearing, sort of like when a cool breeze comes to a gradual stop. Fanatio hummed as she looked around. "Honestly, to think that you've had the spirit of the old dragon guardians as one of your companions all this time… You two never cease to amaze me."

"You weren't the only one surprised back then," he laughed, remembering just how absolutely floored the knight had been, and how much longer it had taken to get her to stop kneeling in front of a floating ball of spirit. "But you, even more so. It took a while before you were finally able to calm down."

"Well… I had thought the four dragon guardians had gone extinct or whatnot. I never thought it was because they were killed," she shook her head. "I am grateful to her. Even after she has passed, she remains to protect these lands as best as she could."

Eugeo nodded, sitting back down. "Yeah… It was her blessing that saved us so many times. Without her, we would have been dead ages ago."

"Pray tell, why did Lady Selena wish to reveal herself to me?"

Before he could answer her question, a pale-blue wisp burst to life before them, catching them by surprise. 'I thought it fine to reveal my existence to Kirito's and Eugeo's ally. You are trustworthy, and admittedly, you might have caught onto that sooner or later.'

"I'm not sure about that. You were able to communicate with the three of them via telepathy, just the same as Kirito and Eugeo do with one another."

"And that's less surprising?"

"Try being hit with one shocking thing after another as I had," she scoffed back. "First being assigned as your mentor. Then realizing you have had a dragon spirit with you. Your telepathic communication with one another, while it certainly raises many questions, just isn't as big as the previous thing."

He'll give her that. Not like it stopped her, Charlotte and Selka from asking how it worked. He and Eugeo would just shrug back and say that it's always been that way for them since they were kids.

He wondered if anyone had ever caught onto that before. Whenever he pointedly looked at Eugeo and they were able to come to a decision without having spoken a single word, or when the two would just snicker to themselves over some silly discussion they had in their minds.

They waited for a bit, chatting all the while, as they waited for the last two members of their little party. They eventually arrived, judging by the way Lyra's head seemed to swivel in a direction, halting their prior conversation as they stared in the same trajectory as she did.

A woman with black hair and a young girl with tea-coloured hair strode in their way, a basket in the hands of the younger girl who was now clad in the garbs of a nun.

"Charlotte, Selka, hey!" He yelled out, waving one arm. The woman simply nodded while Selka waved back, smiling brightly. "Were you two busy with stuff earlier?"

"Nope! I was just doing my «Sacred Arts» studies. And then, Selena called for us," she spread her arms wide. "So here we are!"

"Sorry you had to come so far."

"Not at all," Charlotte shook her head. "Chief Gasupht permitted us to visit you. And I must admit, I enjoyed the walk. It's a little windy today."

"Yeah, it sure is," he hummed. The trees rustled to emphasize that point.

"In any case, is it true?" He met Selka's blue orbs. "Lady Selena said that you were going to make a new «Secret Technique»."

"More like alter an already-existing one, to be honest," he chuckled, patting the sheathed sword that he'd set against the tree.

"All because Kirito was complaining about how there just aren't any techniques out there that have more than one swing," Eugeo said. He stared back, unamused. "I'm not saying you're wrong, though. All techniques thus far have only ever been a one-swing technique. It's really infuriating."

"And if I can get at least a couple down, it'd really expand our skillset."

"If you manage to," Fanatio reminded. He waved her off in response.

"It'll be fiiine. Worst case scenario, I just make a foolery out of myself. You guys will be there to make sure I don't accidentally injure myself or other people."

"Kirito…" Selka pouted. "Please be careful, alright? We don't want you getting yourself hurt."

For a moment there, he stopped to look her in the eyes. It was a playful tone, he knew, but there was also deep-seated fear lurking in those aqua eyes, born from having witnessed the abduction of her sister and Eugeo almost getting killed by a goblin right in front of her.

His breath halted. He considered whether her concern was wasted on him. If he deserved such care from her in the first place—only to quickly dispel that thought.

Selka… he still felt complicated on how to act around her, but he knew that she genuinely cared for him. She'd said before that she had never blamed him for what happened to her sister, and though he wasn't going to stop hating himself for that, he was also determined to make sure it never wounded their relationship as it did when they were kids.

He'd hurt her before. If he could prevent such by simply being her friend, then he was going to do just that.

"I'll be careful," he promised, smiling to erase her worries. "In fact, let's do it like this. Selena, the moment I go out of control or seem like I'm about to twist my back so hard or something, just freeze me to the spot."

'Kirito, Kirito. Again with your crazy ideas,' she giggled, the flame of her soul flickering lightly. 'Very well. I'll keep a close eye on you.'

"A'ight, cool. Well, no better time than now to get started."

This was going to be just like training.

Sure, it was a rest day, but it was as he said: this was going to be like training, and not exactly that, so it should technically be fine. Fanatio certainly looked like she'd given up on convincing him to not do it anymore, so he'll take it as it is.

Moving half a Mel's distance away from the tree to give himself appropriate swinging room and keep himself far away from his live audience, Kirito took a deep breath to psyche himself up, quickly going through the list of techniques he'd already learnt.

Truth be told, he wasn't sure how to approach the problem. It had sounded so simple at first—take a one-hit technique and add another swing to it—but he needed to figure out what kind of technique to use for his little experiment.

Double-handed techniques were out. Sure, he knew how to pull them off, but he was far more comfortable holding his sword with just one hand, so he was going to prioritize just that.

After quickly thinking it through, he decided on the one skill he felt comfortable with initiating. "I'll try doing a «Lightning Slash»," he told the others, getting a thumbs-up from them.

Getting the go-ahead, he proceeded to spread his feet apart and placed himself into the appropriate stance; his left foot forward and his right foot back, body hunched very lightly to give himself a lower centre of gravity. He rested the Blue Rose Sword on his shoulder, feeling the cooling metal on his skin through his tunic.

'Remember. The most important aspect of «Secret Techniques»…'

"Is the power of one's imagination."

Kirito eases his muscles and slowly lets air into his lungs through his nostril, slowly exhaling through his teeth to produce a soft sound. He closes his eyes, focusing.

The sound of his breathing. The rustling of the leaves around him. The feeling of the wind against the nape of his neck. The hilt in his hands. The weight of the sword—he took everything in and sharpened his senses.

Kirito had never understood that part at first; that imagination could even play a part in swordplay. It had been something that Fanatio and Charlotte had begun teaching to them in their second year of training, around the mid of the fifth month. They'd been asked about whether they could 'imagine things in his mind' or not. It was…

Well, he'd answered that he sort of could, if he wanted to. It was just that he felt like it did not have any connection to fighting. After all, a battle required one's focus on the enemy and their surroundings. Why should attention be given in trying to picture things in one's head beyond strategizing?

He most certainly understood the necessity of it now.

The image of light materialized. His sword responded in kind, seeming to grow featherlight, a faint whistle that he could imagine as he and the surrounding area was bathed in a blue, ethereal light. His imagination fed his sword strength, and he quickly telegraphed the motions of the attack in his head.

And then, he moved forwards.

With a shout, Kirito jerked his body forwards, his grip tightening on the hilt as his sword travelled down in a vertical line. It was a rapid descent, almost seeming to cut the air, releasing an outburst of wind from the strength of his swing.

'I… managed that one pretty well,' he let out a breath, taking a moment to recollect himself. He perked up when he heard cheering, stopping to smile and wave back at Selka and Eugeo. His two mentors nodded in satisfaction. 'It's such an easy technique, just like «Azure Wind Slash».'

'Indeed. It's just a single swing with a one-handed sword. While the «Azure Wind Slash» can be executed much more quickly, this one isn't far behind.'

'No kidding. Okay, now for the hard part; adding another swing to it.'

Letting the tip of the Blue Rose Sword touch the earth, Kirito pondered over the idea for a little while. Another swing could be anything—a poke, or a backhand, or another quick downwards swing. There was just no concrete idea in his head as to how he could possibly do so.

Still, experimentation was the key to producing results. Even failure was a result in itself, and that sort of thing was valuable. It would give him a good understanding on what to improve or change, what to eliminate and what to test further.

'Alright. First off, I need to figure out how I want to execute «Lightning Slash» if I'm going to add another swing—the angle, the trajectory of the swings, and what the second hit should be.'

'Goodness, you're really giving it much thought. I wonder if this is what went through the minds of the inventors behind all those old «Secret Techniques».'

'Hah! Maybe.'

After that, Kirito attempted to execute «Lightning Slash» in a couple ways, starting from the basic positioning to altering its trajectory. Going from top-right to bottom-middle, and then perhaps from top-left to bottom-middle instead.

One thing that he realized, when it came to the «Secret Techniques», was how flexible they could be. The idea that a technique could only be executed in just one way was untrue, something which Fanatio taught them via the «Azure Wind Slash» technique.

Ahh, that one's one of his favourites. Fanatio taught him how to execute the attack either as a downwards or upwards diagonal slash; either from top-right to bottom-left or the other way. It meant that, if he couldn't position his sword to unleash the skill in one way, he could still do it the other way. It was designed for quick draw—a pre-emptive strike, basically.

Going back to the matter at hand, however, «Lightning Slash» was very obviously a downward swing. He'd tried once as an upwards slash, but that hadn't exactly worked before. He just had to make it work somehow, albeit as the second hit.

"Okay, okay. Maybe, the best thing we could do is turn it into a 'go down, then go up' thing."

'That sounds relatively simple. Sure, let's go with that.'

Nodding to himself, he readied himself in the basic stance once more. Channelling power into his sword, he counted down to five before swinging downwards, allowing himself to feel the motion of his swing. Keeping up the momentum, he flicked his wrist before swinging upwards—

"Agh!"

"Kirito?!"

The technique failed, on account of him unable to control his hold over his sword and releasing it, causing it to twirl in the air. Selena promptly caught it with a basic wind spell, slowly guiding it back to him.

"Ah… Thanks, Selena," he winced as he massaged his wrist. And then, he yelled back at the others: "It's okay, everyone! I'm not hurt! Just accidentally let go of my sword!"

'Are you alright? Did you sprain your wrist?'

"No, no, it's nothing like that. I don't know, I… felt like I did something wrong," he closed his eyes, trying to recall his movement. "I swung down like normal, and then proceeded to swing it back up in the same trajectory. But something felt off, and I accidentally let go of my sword."

'I see,' she hummed. 'Are you still fine to continue experimenting?'

"Yeah. I'm not leaving 'til I get this right."

After that, he began to execute «Lightning Slash» over and over again, each time adjusting the first swing's trajectory and angle. There were no right answers, so there were many combinations to go through before he found the one.

Unfortunately, he had severely underestimated the difficulty of what he was trying to accomplish. Each time, he got that same feeling of wrongness with the second swing's attempt, despite his gut feeling telling him that he was getting closer to the answer. Trying for a poke or a circular swing as the second hit was an immediate failure instead, so he knew it had to be an upward slash.

It was about making the small adjustments, he came to realize. After all, when swinging a sword, it wasn't just the arm moving. It took up the entire body's worth of effort to pour momentum into the technique—from the arm doing the swinging, to the body turning to add more motion, to the wrist, to the fingers, to the feet stepping forwards with specific techniques.

He needed to get everything right. All the way down to the minute details.

Grunting, he readied himself for another «Lightning Slash». A perfect execution, at this point. However, when he tried to swing downwards, having readjusted his body by spinning and quickly raising his arm, he lost his balance and slipped to the side, skill cutting off and his face eating dirt.

It didn't take long for people to reach his side, Selka frantically helping him up while he sputtered stone and grit out of his mouth. "Make that failure number forty-seven."

"I think it was a fifty-three, Kirito…"

"Really? Shoot. I guess I lost count. Okay, failure number fifty-three then," he closed his eyes when Selka tried to wipe away some dirt from his face. "I'm fine, Selka. I'm not even hurt. I just slipped and fell. Mostly the clothes I'm more worried about."

"Azalia will certainly give you a telling-off for being so mucky," Fanatio sighed, missing the way he grimaced at the image. "Unfortunately, it seems like it's not working. Perhaps an established technique just can't be altered all that easily…"

"No, no. I think I'm getting closer. I can feel it."

"You certainly looked like you had an idea of how to do it the entire time," hummed Eugeo. "What's there to change, actually?"

"Not sure. Something about making the two swings come one after the other in a natural and fluid way. The first swing is fine, that's just the normal «Lightning Slash» technique. It's the next part that I'm trying to get a feel for," he paused for a moment, trying to think of something before speaking up once more. "Three more times. Let me try for three more times. After that, we'll call it a day."

Everyone agreed to that, taking their distance once more while he stood at the same spot from before. His muscles were aching a little now, but he was certain that it was going to pay off. He just needed to figure out how…

Without thinking, he positioned himself to swing, but it was for a different «Secret Technique». This time, he was going to try doing an «Azure Wind Slash», if only to get a feel for how an upwards diagonal slash should be (and yes, he understood that «Lightning Slash» was significantly more vertical, but it can be initiated with a small, slanted angle).

This being the easiest technique thus far, Kirito was able to ease himself into the appropriate positioning quickly enough. He held his sword close to his waist and aimed it behind him, pouring strength into his sword and noticing how gentle blue light seemed to bathe the area around him. He tightened his core and then swung forwards and up as fast as he could.

It zipped across the air. Fast enough that even he couldn't keep up with it.

'An immaculate display.'

'Thanks.'

Okay, he's got the feel for that one. Now, he just needed to figure out how to implement that as the second swing of his experimental technique.

First try was a bust, his arm overextended and his wrist almost locking up, causing him to almost stagger from the blowback of the skill's cancellation.

Second time wasn't even close, the first skill having died already and him executing an «Azure Wind Slash» right after. He couldn't call that one skill since it was too obvious that he was pulling off two different skills.

Third time… Third time has got to be the charm. It has to.

Squeezing his core as he willed his imagination to fuel the sword, Kirito quickly visualized the movement of the technique in his mind's eye, refusing to let this one be another failure. It had to be quick, fluid and perfect. Nothing less could work.

'Come on, Kirito… You went from knowing no techniques to knowing almost everything. You can master this!'

The northern winds blew, cold against his flushed skin. Sweat dribbled down his brow and to his chin, falling as a single drop. His muscles tightened, his gaze focused only in front of him while the rests of his friends watched with bated breath.

And then… he moved.

With a loud battle cry fit to be a goblin's own, Kirito swung down as hard as he could. Rather than starting from his shoulder, he sliced through the air from his top-left, making a straight diagonal cut to the bottom-middle. The blue light trailed behind the movement of his sword.

'Now… go up!'

The Blue Rose Sword answered in kind, still emanating the same shade of blue luminescence as he rotated his wrist and tightened his hold. His left foot carried him forward, body turning rightwards as he swung upwards to his right. The blade rang like it struck iron, resounding across the field.

Eventually, the light fizzled away, the energy draining away.

And Kirito stood there, gobsmacked.

'N-No way,' and he wasn't the only one surprised, if Selena's disbelieving tone was any indication. 'Did… Did you just..?'

"I… Maybe?" He breathed out, eyes wide as he relaxed his stance and stared down at the sword. "That actually worked, right..?"

Immediately, he turned his head over to the rest of the group. They were understandably shocked, barring Selka who didn't exactly understand what had just transpired; Eugeo had his mouth wide open, Charlotte's calm visage was shattered, and Fanatio looked like she was stuttering.

"Y-You..!" The knightess tried to say. "You actually did it?!"

He almost wanted to laugh, split between that and stumbling over his words. The excitement and disbelief was quickly spreading amongst everyone there, as Eugeo's mouth turned into a thrilled smile, and Fanatio was quickly losing her mind.

Kirito himself did not last three seconds before he screamed with joy.

Author's Notes:

And here is the timeskip! Whoo!

Man. You can't tell, but I am just so excited. We're finally moving past the phase of Kirito and Eugeo and children, and into teenagerhood. I've got so many ideas moving forward, it'll be a joy to write them out.

Another thing I noticed is just how much stuff I've practically jammed into this chapter; seeing them as teenagers, Kirito and Eugeo's capability of telepathic communication with one another finally revealed, Selena's reveal to Fanatio and Selka, «Incarnation», finished off with Kirito inventing a new «Secret Technique»… Sure is one thing after another in just this one chapter, lmao.

I also already mentioned in the author notes of Chapter 1 that Kirito's height as a child and a teenager is 130cm and 172cm respectively. Just some simple pixel measurement and the like.

And a final mention; «Horizontal» never had an official name in the canon techniques, so I just based it off of «Vertical» and «Lightning Slash», and called it «Lightning Sweep». Because, well, you know. They're both one-hit techniques, almost the same albeit in different directions. I think it's okay.

Phew. Quite a lot said. I know I already said this, but I'm just so hyped now that it's finally time to move onto the next major arc of this story. I'm enjoying myself, haha!

«Alicization I: Of Crowns and Swords»

Arc I: Rulid

► Arc II: Centoria

Arc III: ?

Arc IV: ?