Chapter 23

{ Little Moments and The Demon Tree }

"So… you will be leaving next month, then?"

"That's the plan."

It had started raining—and rather heavily, he had to say. The sky beyond the window was dark and gloomy, and he couldn't see anything beyond the walls. Quite the surprise, too, considering how it had been relatively bright earlier today. A good thing that they managed to get back to the village in time before the start of the downpour, then.

With everyone having headed home right after they reached the village, Kirito had returned to the church in hopes of getting a quick bath, since he still got watered down a little. Still, imagine his surprise when he noticed Selka chatting with Azalia in the canteen. What it was, he never really asked, though he supposed it was some other business of their own.

That lead to his current situation, of which he was now seated at a table with Selka right in front of him, nursing a mug of hot chocolate that Azalia had whipped up for him before she retreated to her room, wanting to lie down for a bit. He'd told her she didn't need to trouble herself to begin with, but in typical Azalia fashion, she always does that kind of thing for others.

Kirito sighed, relaxed. Warmth seeped into his hands through his mug, the comforting scent of the drink evoking pleasant memories. With the sound of rain outside, it made the moment all the more soothing, so he simply basked in it all as he sat in the cafeteria.

And yet, it felt sombre. Not enough that his mood felt terrible, but he certainly lacked the energy to give more than the smallest of smiles to the younger girl sitting in front of him, whose blue eyes looked dejected.

Kirito refused to show any form of sadness, however, knowing that there would be enough to deal with when the day of their leave officially comes. "At first, Eugeo and I thought about keeping it under wraps. But I guess it would have been a lot better to just let everyone know early on, if only to avoid some panic."

"The other children would most certainly be in an outburst once they find out."

"Yeah."

"And I bet the village will throw a celebration for you two."

"Oh, please. We already had one, though. I don't think another will be needed."

Selka snorted back. "Yeah right. That was just a small thing. I'm sure father will want the entire village involved for this next one."

He sighed at that, though he couldn't quite keep the smile away. "Well, if you say so."

"Are you feeling excited?"

"Somewhat. It's both that and… well, you know. I'm gonna' miss this place," he admitted as such, resting his cheek on his fist. "I've lived here for fourteen years. Suddenly going out of it is going to be a big change. Granted, I might not necessarily move away from it, but… well, you know."

"Yeah, I can understand why that's terrifying to you," she sighed. "But you'll have Eugeo with you. And Charlotte, and Miss Fanatio. I am sure that there won't be any problems that you wouldn't be able to handle."

"With them by my side, I know we'll be fine," he paused then. "Will you… miss us?"

"What kind of question is that?" She sounded embarrassed despite her raised voice. "Of course I'll miss you all. And I'll miss Charlotte, too…"

"I'm sorry. Maybe we could ask Charlotte to stay here."

"No, don't. You know that she has to go with you… and I know you have to go and find that lady. Fulfilling a dead person's wish is, well, it's admirable," she offered him a smile, making him return the gesture. "I just hope that your journey will be okay when the time comes. Knowing you, things tend to go downhill at times."

"Tell me about it. So long as things go swimmingly this time, I'm all for it."

"Mmhm."

"You know… There really might be a possibility that Eugeo and I will become Integrity Knights at the end of this. It's not something I'd want, but I don't find it avoidable at this rate. But even if we end up becoming knights, I'm sure that we'll be able to visit here from time to time. We're not gonna' leave and forget this place."

"You don't know that. Integrity Knights are always going to be busy with their duties, patrolling around the Human Empire and going to places far away. There's no way you'd be able to come back."

"Then we'll make sure of it. Pinkie promise," he stuck out his pinkie, making her blink back at the gesture. He took her hand before she could say a word and hooked his finger around hers. "There. It's a pinkie promise. Eugeo and I will go to Centoria, meet that woman and become Integrity Knights. But whenever we have free time, we'll always come back here. Me, Charlotte, Eugeo—all of us."

She was speechless for a moment, eventually giggling at the serious expression he had on his face, which was slowly morphing into a smile. "Goodness. Knights would typically swear in the name of the church or stuff like that. This is certainly not what I'd expected."

"Hey, I ain't a knight yet, so it should be fine. And when I end up becoming one, I'm definitely a one-of-a-kind."

"You sure would be."

"And hey, the reason why Eugeo and I preferred to leave at the end of the month rather than immediately was because we wanted to spend just a little more time with everyone here. So we'd definitely get to hang out for a little longer."

Somehow, that part seemed to make her happy, judging by the way her eyes visibly brightened. "That would be nice."

"Yeah. So, like, maybe we can't go out of the village, but that doesn't mean we can't have fun. Now until next month, I want to be sure I can fill every moment with everyone. You included," and that was enough to make her go 'Eep!', face slowly reddening. Somehow, he managed to go on. "I don't want to leave this place with any regrets, so I'm definitely going to make the most out of it and just… be with everyone. Play games, make stuff, walk around and explore."

"A-Ahaha… Yeah. The kids especially will love that…"

"Especially them. Because of my calling, I don't always have the opportunity to hang out with them, which was something I always felt bad about. I mean, I'll still keep up my training every now and then, but I'm thinking of cutting back on it a little, head back early and hang out with everyone."

"And we could have dinner together. Mother and father would love to have you over."

He flinched at that. "Err… Are you sure that's okay?"

"Come now… You know both of them aren't mad at you."

"Logically understanding it is one thing, but being emotionally distraught over it is also another. I can't help what I feel."

"Then just… consider it? Maybe? It'll be fun! All five of us eating together."

He really didn't want to. Selka knows; he had bared himself to her that night, and she and Eugeo had witnessed the depths of his self-hatred first-hand. Even to this day, when his relationship with the Zuberg's had gotten somewhat better over the years, he'd always clung onto them.

The fear. The nightmare. Alice.

A part of him wished she'd hated him. It would have made everything so much easier in life.

Instead, she wanted the both of them to be friends. She'd always come to them on weekdays, have lunch with them, hang out with them on rest days. And there was always the silent hope that, someday, he could forgive himself and let himself be happy.

He couldn't. And he definitely didn't deserve such kindness from her, and especially her parents of whom he'd deprived of their daughter. But… "Someday, then. It'll be before we leave, I promise."

But, if it would make her happy—just as Selka is now, smiling in genuine happiness at the promise—then he supposed he could do all that he can.

"I know you two have the Blue Rose Sword, but like, how about another sword?"

"Yeah. It'll be hard for you two to fight together if only one person can use the Blue Rose Sword at a time."

As he wiped down his head from his bath, Eugeo considered his brothers' words, their green eyes watching him from where they were sitting on his bed. And yeah, they weren't wrong; they really needed to get another sword.

Well, technically it would be just for Eugeo, because Kirito somehow decided that the Blue Rose Sword was meant to be his to use. Why he was so insistent on that, he really doubted he would ever know in the future, but he really lacked the energy to argue with him. That was just how stubborn he could be.

Thinking on that now, it made him wonder what kind of sword would fit his best friend. Aesthetics aren't exactly his forte (and certainly not Kirito's, he had a feeling), so he wasn't sure if he could even come up with an opinion on the matter.

But then again, he did think that black would suit him. 'Not sure why, but it's probably got to do with the black scarf that Selka made for him.'

Eugeo couldn't help but grin to himself, his eyes tracking his very own scarf, hanging from a chair by his desk. How many cold autumns and winters has it served him? Honestly, it'd been so comfortable to wear, and he'd never gotten it changed despite having grown quite a bit.

And yet, far from being perfect as it had been at the start, it was clear to the naked eye that it's gotten old. The colours had grown muted somewhat, and there were some loose strands that Sulinea had done her best to patch up. It was still incredibly fluffy, sure, but there were times when it would itch somewhat.

Again, though, he wasn't getting rid of it anytime soon. It was a beautiful gift from a friend. Once they travel to Centoria, he was going to bring it along with him.

"We don't exactly have weaponsmiths here in this village. You might need to go to Zakkaria."

"I guess so, though we might just ask for a regular iron sword for Kirito to use in the meantime," he said, dumping his towel inside a basket. "It would be dangerous for him to travel without something to protect himself with."

"True that."

"Say, you two only ever use swords, right?" Eugeo nodded back at his brother's question. "I'm surprised that Lady Fanatio could teach you how to use a sword when hers is technically a rapier."

"I remember asking her about that, too. She just said that, back in the day, she'd studied a couple of styles for weapons beyond just her rapier, so she knows how to use a one-handed sword and a two-handed sword. Although, she just sticks to rapiers because that's what her weapon is, and she's a little rusty with swords."

The Heaven Piercing Sword. He remembers how both he and Kirito had been utterly fascinated by the story behind its creation, of which she had amusingly recounted to them when they'd been having a lunch break during their calling.

A long, long time ago, the Human Empire confiscated silver coins and other silver items from the people for an experiment of sorts. Glass makers were instructed to make a thousand mirror panes from the gathered items, which could then reflect the light of Solus to the point of becoming a hot, supernova beam that practically melted a building-sized rock.

For some reason or another, the initial idea was disposed of, and instead the mirror panes were combined to forge a sword. That sword, in fact, being the Heaven Piercing Sword itself, which was now passed down onto Fanatio.

While the story was certainly fascinating, Eugeo found it a little more curious that knights who descend from the heavens don't even have weapons on them to begin with.

Guess that was fair. They descend from the heavens with nothing on them, and the church supplies them with their armour and weapon. A nice detail to consider, though one ultimately not that meaningful in the grand scheme of things.

"A black sword…" He ended up saying, only to realize that he found the image a lot more appealing than he initially thought. "Yeah. Kirito would look good with a black sword. But that would be pretty hard to make."

"True. There aren't any black ores that you can use to make swords. Most metals are usually just white."

"How about you just paint it black?"

"Are you kidding? The paint will just wear off from being used to fight so many times," he rolled his eyes. "And I'm not even sure if there's actual paint that you can use on metal. So far, there's only ever been paint for bricks and wood. Haven't heard of metal paint yet."

"Pretty sure that's the kind of stuff that you'll find in high-end places like Centoria. So when you go there with Kirito, you should definitely try and find some black metal paint!"

"Or, you could make a sword out of wood," everyone paused at Eugene's suggestion. And then, he shook his head. "Nah, I guess that wouldn't be very effective."

It wasn't a completely terrible idea. After all, wood was an incredibly light material, and some of the higher quality woods could withstand a lot of impact and pressure. Unfortunately, they couldn't ever compare to the tried and tested metal, so people only ever use wooden swords as practice swords. No one has ever gone to battle with… Wait a minute.

"Actually, wind that back. I don't think it's as impossible as we think it is…"

"Eh? Really?"

"Sure. I mean, when we think about wooden swords, we think about the really simple ones. But who's to say that you can't make an extremely strong sword from wood? After all, Fanatio's sword was made out of mirror panes, which would technically be considered impossible to forge a sword from. In fact, it makes you wonder if there are other weapons that the Integrity Knights use that were forged from other materials, so tree wood wouldn't exactly be all that far-fetched."

"Huh. But what tree would be suitable to make a good sword from?"

Hmm. Now that was a good question as well. While all four human empires had plenty of forests, the quality trees came from here in Norlangarth, particularly because the soil quality here was the highest, with Eastabarieth probably coming in second, despite the fact that there weren't much trees in most of the land.

While the quality of the sword mattered quite a bit, needing to be made from quality materials, there was also the matter of «Incarnation», which had drastically great effects on the weapon's performance. So perhaps that alone could balance out the weapon's quality?

'Well, that's no reason for Kirito's sword to be made out of cheap material. And it's not like it has to be wood. We could always get him a good metal sword…'

"Oh hey! Actually, if we're gonna' make a sword for Kirito, I know one thing we can use!"

"Really? Which—Ohhh! You're right!"

Eugeo blinked out of his thoughts, looking to his brothers, who were now staring out the window. "Huh? What are the both of you—Oh," he said. "Oh, I see."

He found himself laughing with his brothers, honestly feeling stupid for never having considered it. The answer had been staring them in the face all this time, and he'd never noticed? Plus, to make a sword from it would be pretty poetic too. The end of their old lives, and the beginning of their future.

Off to the south, casting long shadows over the land as it blocked the sky, the Gigas Cedar stood tall.

Selka wasn't home, yet.

Charlotte hummed, looking around the house in search of orange-coloured hair. And yet, there was no sight of the little girl. Chief Gasupht was taking his bath while Sadina was in the kitchen, working on making a light snack for them. Probably a salad of sorts; the villagers had given her some ingredients earlier today.

'Strange. She would usually be home right around now. Maybe she's visiting a friend?'

"If you're wondering where Selka went, I think she went to the church."

The ravenette perked up, turning her gaze to the left. The smile on her auburn-haired friend was a little chirpy, which was infective enough to make even her grin. "What is it?"

"Oh, nothing. Just that I didn't think I'd be having tea with you, is all," she giggled when she said that, sounding much younger than her age belies. "We've been trying to find time for that, but you've been busy training the boys, so you're often home late."

"Ah. Do forgive me for that."

"No, no! There's nothing wrong that," she lightly tapped her shoulder with an index. "I can tell that you're enjoying yourself, so there's nothing that you should be apologizing for. And besides, we're having tea now, aren't we? In fact," she leaned her head back, raising her voice. "Are you sure you don't need any help, ma'am?"

"It's all fine! Just sit there for a wee bit more."

"Well, if you say so."

"And how about you, Cherise? Have your hunter duties been difficult?"

"You kidding? It's in the spring, so our job isn't as strenuous as always. Plus, on your days off from training, you're always helping out, so things always go smoothly," Cherise let out a drawled groan. "With Akos around, he's always driving me crazy. Having you around is such a blessing."

"I don't really see what the issue is with him, though? He's been nothing but a gentleman."

"Only in front of you! When it's just the two of us, he's always looking down on me. Treating me like some kind of brat!" She huffed loudly. Sadina, having just arrived from the kitchen with a steaming bowl—oh? Steamed potatoes with butter. They smell heavenly—simply laughed at the younger woman's antics. "I mean, yeah, I get it. I'm the youngest member of the hunters. Doesn't mean he has to be such a pain about it…"

"Likely just his own brand of friendliness."

"I suppose, though it shouldn't be hard to be friendly without the teasing. I mean, look at Charlotte! She's so nice, and she does it all without having to be a pain in the rear!"

Hah. For being such a young woman, she certainly didn't have any reservations about running her mouth whenever she got really heated up. It's certainly part of her charms, though.

Sadina went back to the kitchen one final time to brew some tea for them, returning to them after a while for them to enjoy their little tea time together. Pairing steamed potatoes with tea certainly felt like a strange combination, but she'd be lying if she said it wasn't delicious. She made her comments known to Sadina halfway through.

"Ah, that's good to hear," the Zuberg matriarch grinned. "It's a recipe a friend of mine shared the other day. She suggested I give it a try, and I'm happy to hear that you like it."

"Come now, Sadina. You've got a cook's hands. Anything you make will taste great."

"I'll believe it when Gasupht actually says that."

"Eh..? Does he never say anything?" Cherise tilted his head. "I feel like he would compliment you on your cooking."

"I wish, but he never does," pouted the mother. It was so childish that it made her look years younger, somehow, and it reminds her so much of Selka. "Really, is it so hard? I get that it could be a little embarrassing, but it shouldn't be the most embarrassing thing in the world, for crying out loud!"

"I wouldn't exactly worry on that account," Charlotte's laughter drew their gazes to her. "While Chief Gasupht isn't a very vocal person, I know he enjoys your cooking. Have you never noticed, Sadina? He always has a smile on his face when he leaves for work, and I can tell he's always in anticipation when he returns."

"Eh?" Her words had effectively thrown the woman for a loop—and she looked visibly embarrassed, a bright blush swallowing her face like a tomato. "T-That's not… There's no way that's true…"

"I most certainly do. Chief Gasupht loves you very much, Sadina."

"Oooh~! Looks like the big scary chief has a soft spot for his wifeeey!"

"Cheriiiise..!"

In contrast with the mother's flustered flailing and Cherise poking the older woman in the shoulder with that teasing grin of hers, Charlotte simply laughed back. For being an adult woman, she sure makes for an easy tease. Then again, she's lived here long enough to know all the buttons to press to elicit a reaction out of her.

The thought made her pause. As she listened to the mother whine about the unfairness of the situation and her hopes of Gasupht actually enjoying her meals while the huntress attempted to assuage her, Charlotte couldn't help but remember all the time she'd spent here.

Three years with the Zuberg family had certainly been a ride of a kind. The family was a warm one, its members humble and accepting of both her and Fanatio. Every single day with them had been nothing but fun, and she knew even Fanatio would remember her time here fondly.

To her, the most peculiar things she could ever say were the friendships she'd built with the people in this village.

When Lady Cardinal had sent her out to the world on her mission, she'd readily accepted because it was primarily infiltration, information gathering and evasion—basically, none of those ever required her to mingle with the humans. She was free to keep up her original form, so she had been completely fine.

And yet, when she'd stumbled upon those two boys fighting for their lives in the northern forests, she found herself adopting a human vessel to mask her identity. Why she had done so, she wasn't sure, much less so why Cardinal had requested her to stay with them in the village.

Thankfully, she'd been able to keep up decently with the people, so there was never any fear of making mistakes or standing out (though, she supposed she already did, both from the fact that she was involved in the boys' rescue and the skirmish). And somehow, along the way, she'd become friends with the villagers.

Never a day passes where a person wouldn't greet her. She'd started off as the mysterious fighter, and nowadays, the kids recognize her as some kind of hero—a little embarrassing, but certainly endearing.

With Cherise, their friendship had been somewhat abrupt. She had been so shy, tripping over her words so much when they first met. But now, they were frequently meeting one another for tea or lunch after work.

Sadina, on the other hand, was always a comforting presence in the household, often inviting her to cook with her in the kitchen or accompany her to the orchard. It was no surprise that everyone in the village respected and adored her, and even Charlotte felt a kinship with her.

But if anyone ever asked her, the person she felt closest to was the chieftain's very own daughter. Years apart in age, but there was no one in the world that she could proudly say that she was closer to than she was with Selka.

"Ah, if only Selka was here," sighed the girl's mother, setting her empty teacup down. "If she'll be staying at the church until the storm is over, I'm sure it'll be taking quite a while."

"I think she'll be fine. Kirito would be there by then, right? Unless you're worried about him?"

"Goodness, Cherise. What nonsense are you spouting? Kirito wouldn't do anything untoward to her," she rolled her eyes. "You know he's a gentleman."

The huntress snickered, mirth in her eyes. "No kidding. It's no wonder he's so popular, eh?"

"Exactly. I mean, I've lost count of the number of times the girls in the village make him things; cooked meals are the most common, but I remember that girl—Elisha, I believe—giving her a bunch of flowers. Beautiful ones, no less."

"Ohh, I remember! Goodness, she was so adorable! She'd been so happy when he accepted them, it looked like she'd just had her birthday and gotten her wishes granted."

"Mmhm. And get this, Selka was sooo jealous when she found out! She was pouting the whole day!"

Ah, yes, she remembered that. On that day, Selka had left to deliver some food she made with her mother to the church. When she got back, she refused to explain her sour mood to her and Sadina, leading them to believe something bad had happened. They later learnt the truth from Gasupht, who had been there to witness the event. Needless to say, he wasn't the only amused, though they'd never brought it up in front of the girl.

"I mean, can you blame her? Kirito did save her from wolves that night. Plus, he was a part of that monster-killing mission. Any girl would swoon over such a heroic person."

"Has she always been infatuated with Kirito?" Charlotte asked to Sadina, who smiled cheekily in return.

"Oh, she most certainly had. It had been relatively innocent all this while, but when a girl grows up, she starts to think of more romantic notions. I would know; I was a fair maiden once upon a time."

"What does that make you now?"

"A happy, married woman. Shush," both huntresses shared a moment of laughter. "But yes, I know how my daughter's gaze lingers on him a little longer than usual. And whenever she goes to visit you during his and Eugeo's working hours and training, she comes back always more motivated to make even more yummy meals for everyone."

"But mostly for Kirito?"

"I remember last year, when she made that small apple pie for him. She came back and told me how much he loved it, and she was over the moon."

Aww, that was sweet. And while she wasn't the kind of person to have ever indulged this kind of talk, she would be lying if she said she wasn't personally 'shipping' them together (as Sulinea called it). They made for a relatively good pair.

"And he's not so bad-looking now, actually. All that training you put him through have done wonders on his growth, Charlotte."

The ravenette chuckled, shaking her head. "I assure you, my intentions were purely for self-defense. Any improvement in terms of appearance were all unprecedented. You could say that his personality now is also much more different."

"You're not wrong," nodded Cherise. "He's brushed away some of his more wilder tendencies since his younger days, and I'd say he's turned out very well. Then again, his temperament has always been his charm."

"He certainly was a lot more energetic as a child," Charlotte nodded in agreement. Teaching him every day for three years allowed her to watch his growth, and aside from the obvious change in his physicality, he'd become a little… well, gentler wasn't the appropriate term, but certainly a bit more cautious and soft-spoken. "Always so loud, as well. He's mellowed out."

"And he was a lot more rambunctious, back when…"

Sadina caught herself, but the implications were clear when her eyes went wide and her jaws clenched tight. Even Cherise seemed to have picked up on the cue, going quiet as she stared at the chieftain's wife with concern, while Sadina averted her gaze to the floor.

No one said anything, but she couldn't help her own curiosity. "…How bad was he? After the incident."

"Terrible," her deep frown was telling enough. "It was honestly hard, you know? Seeing your own daughter's best friend falling into a pit and being unable to help… In fact, he was always avoiding us."

"He felt guilty."

"And he still does. I'm not blind. He tries not to be obvious about it, but every time our eyes meet, I see the way he flinches. He's afraid of what we think of him. He distances himself from us. At least he's okay with Selka now."

"Well…" Cherise met her eyes for a moment, then looked away. "Are you mad at him..?"

The answer came immediately. "Of course I'm not. I… I was heartbroken, I admit that, but I've never blamed him for what happened to Alice. It's not like he pushed her into stepping onto those lands. In fact, he even tried to save her from the knight that day. What am I meant to think from that?"

"And the chief?"

"Gasupht loves the boy like his own son. Him and Eugeo both. Neither of us hated them."

And neither did Selka, but that hadn't stopped him from carrying that burden for these past three years. She doubted any words from anyone would truly get through to him and help him ease that guilt.

He was determined to relive those nightmares forever, just so that he never forgot. So that he would be determined to never let it happen again.

The three women sighed. It was certainly hard to entertain the thought that they'd allow this self-destructive attitude to linger for so long, and Charlotte especially felt that the hardest. She was his mentor, and that meant that she had a duty to help him. And yet, she'd been unable to do that.

Really, how was one meant to dive into the abyss and drag someone out, when they themselves wanted to sink in it?

"Someday… we're planning to speak with him," Sadina's words drew her gaze to her. Those blue orbs, though regretful, were calm. "Both my husband and I… Before Kirito leaves for Centoria next month with the others, we want to speak with him about that."

"You will?"

"Of course. I don't want my daughter's best friend—someone whom I consider like my own child—to suffer for what isn't even his fault. What happened that day was an accident."

"It'll be difficult," Cherise warned. "I may not know him as well as the both of you two do, but I've the feeling that he's far more stubborn as a mule."

"Well, stubborn or no, I'm certainly not going to budge either," she huffed back. Just that single action reminds her of Selka's own bullishness. It had her smiling a little. "We'll get it through his head, no matter what. His journey to Centoria should be a memorable one, and not with a raincloud over his head."

"Well, if you're going to be bringing out the 'tough love', then I'm sure you've got it all in hand," chuckled Cherise.

"Of course. And I'll even bring in Sulinea to seal the deal. She's always understood him incredibly well, so if I could get some ideas from her…"

"Really going all-out here…"

'…Thank you, Sadina. I am not strong enough to ask you of this, but I know only your words could hope to ease his heart. If you can do that, then that is more than enough for me.'

Ultimately, that was the only way to overcome an obstacle; to face it head-on and not run away. And maybe Kirito would not have the courage to do so, but if it could help him, then she understood that he had to accept it regardless.

Alice… What kind of girl was Selka's sister like? She would never know, but if she were here now, she would likely want him to move on as well, rather than clutch onto thorny memories.

Such is the way humans must live. To suffer, then to grow from it. Wiser, smarter, a step closer to enlightenment. And that, she felt, was the most beautiful thing humans could ever have.

"And besides, it would be nice if he eventually returns Selka's feelings. I'd love to have Kirito as my in-law."

Charlotte, previously drinking from her cup in that moment, promptly sprayed everything into the air.

29th day of the 4th Month – HEC, 375

Something was different about today.

Typically, every day was nothing but normalcy and the occasional shenanigan to spice things up. But today, he felt like there was a purpose of sorts. Something that guided him throughout the morning, and that which even the other children in the church and Sister Azalia seemed to share in. He hadn't understood at first, but meeting Azalia's eyes, he knew.

Today was the day.

He wasn't the only one who understood the implications of today. Eugeo had that same light of conviction in his eyes, and they—brothers in all but blood who understood one another down to a spiritual level—knew that it was time.

They had waited for two weeks to get to this point. And the time until then had been spent simply enjoying themselves with the people around them; at times, picnicking with Selka and the others at the Gigas Cedar, playing games with the other church children, and continuing their training. Charlotte and Fanatio hadn't been lying when they said there wasn't much else to learn, stating that there would be more to pick up once they leave Rulid.

But before they do, it was high time they put their calling well behind them.

"A hundred and two thousand left," Kirito said, leaning away from the tree's bark. He settled his right hand on the hilt of the sword he hung to his waist, cold seeping through his skin. "That's the Gigas Cedar's remaining «Life»."

"That sure is a lot…"

"Perhaps. But with the Blue Rose Sword, which has an incredibly high «Object Control Authority», it should be of no difficulty to the both of them."

"Here's hoping that's the case," Eugeo said nervously. And yet, there was no mistaking the glimmer of anticipation in his green orbs. "And we'll be doing «Secret Techniques». Those are much more powerful, aren't they?"

"That they are."

"Neat… So, Kirito, do you want to go first?"

"Sure thing. I'm happy to let you deal the dramatic final blow."

"Jeez. You don't need to put it like that."

Chuckling back at his best friend's expression, Kirito unsheathed the Blue Rose Sword. Its unblemished surface reflected his own smiling expression, and he tightened his hold over the hilt as he positioned himself before the cut of the tree, staring into the part that cut deepest into the tree.

Cutting down this tree would put an end to a «Sacred Task» that has existed for decades before them, and the legacy of such felt tremendous. Still, he didn't allow himself to falter from the pressure, understanding that it was in their right to inherit.

They, the two swordsmen who felled the Gigas Cedar.

'Has a nice ring to it, huh?'

'A little, yeah.'

It would be a little unorthodox, considering that they would be cutting the tree down with some mythical sword. But really, he wasn't going to complain about the methodology of things. Only results and the future mattered.

'Okay… Let's do this.'

Selena kept herself quiet as he slowly shifted his right foot back, aiming his sword backwards as he lowered his centre of gravity. Kirito tightened his core, breathing life into the sword as he focused on the image of the technique in his mind. Blue light glowed around him, his blade channelling his willpower.

And then, with a mighty roar, Kirito stomped his left foot forwards before shifting his entire weight to his left, swinging forwards with everything he had.

Metal cried out like a shrill scream, the light dying down as the technique finally ceased activity. And, from the 'Stacia Window' on display, he could see the value of the tree's «Life» falling incredibly quickly, proving all of their initial thoughts that the sword could indeed do far better than the Dragon Bone Axe.

And it still went down, just as it had the first time he'd tried the sword out to sate his curiosity.

"«Lightning Sweep»," Fanatio said, humming. "Yet another technique in the Norkia-style. One could say that both «Lightning Sweep» and «Lightning Slash» are two faces of the same coin, both invented by two brothers before being passed down to their daughters before getting refined further throughout the centuries."

"It certainly has power in its swing. I wonder how we could turn this into a two-hit technique…"

"That's for the future, Kirito," sighed Fanatio. "For now, how about focusing on one thing first?"

"Yeah, I hear you," he laughed back. "Eugeo, take it away."

His friend accepted the sword and swapped places with him. He was firm of expression, determined to do just as well—or, perhaps, even better than he.

Hmm. Yeah, he knew it. The Blue Rose Sword looked far more appropriate in his hand, for some reason. There was no other reason that he could possibly give other than the fact that it was on an instinctual level.

'Eugeo.'

'Hmm?'

'No matter what happens from here on out, don't worry, 'kay? We'll face tomorrow together.'

That gave him pause, hand almost relaxing of its hold completely. And then, he threw his head back to shoot him a smile, not a single trace of fear in his emerald eyes. Kirito smiled back, nodding.

Eugeo turned his head back to stare at the tree once more. Kirito could only see his back now, flexing as he positioned himself to unleash a «Lightning Sweep». Blue light the colour of azure skies is emitted from the sword, dyeing the soil around him with its gentle luminescence.

And then, it erupted, blinding, as the flaxen-haired swordsman cut through.

The chains that held him back. The tree that marked the end of their Rulid days. The fears that they would never be enough.

Eugeo cut through all of them.

One second. Then two second. And then, the tree began to shift. A quiet rumble turned into a roaring sequence of cracking before the shadows grew, flocks of birds taking off into the air in a frenzy and filling the sky with the sounds of beating wings.

'…And so it falls.'

'That it does. It'll be crazy not to see this tree anymore.'

'Feels like some kind of a dream come true, doesn't it? To me, it feels more like I'm hallucinating. I think a part of me had always believed that I'd never see it come true. That it would take a hundred more generations of tree-cutters before it would finally be gone, yet here we are.'

'I know… I'm kind of afraid that I'll wake up and realize all of this was just a dream.'

'It isn't. The Gigas Cedar has well and truly fallen.'

'Wow… That'll take some getting used to, huh?'

'Well, there's always the Central Cathedral. That one's just as tall—if not taller, even. That could be the new Gigas Cedar, if you miss this one.'

'Goddesses, we are not cutting that down.'

'Hah! Nah, I've had enough of that shit too. Here's to a future as swordsmen.'

'Yeah. Together.'

And together, they watched the Gigas Cedar collapse underneath Stacia's sky.

Author's Notes:

You could consider this chapter as a collection of many short stories, just like my other fic, Unnatural: In a Big Freaking World. Wow, shameless self-plug-in. Wanna' give that a read? Lmao.

But all jokes aside, the next chapter will be their last stay in Rulid before they actually leave. Hoping you look forward to that.