Central Cathedral, May 380 HE Part 3

Between the fight with Deusolbert and now this one, it was

Kirito who had taken all the damage, with hardly anything befalling Eugeo. He could never make up that debt unless he gave

back to the point of passing out.

But after half his life had transferred over, or so it felt, Kirito

opened his eyes, grabbed Eugeo's hand, and pushed it away.

"…Thank you, Eugeo. I'm fine now."

"No, you're not. You took so much damage, I'm sure there's

still more you just can't see."

"It's not as bad as when the goblins got us. I'm more worried

about her now…"

His black eyes searched until they saw Fanatio's body lying at

the far end of the hall.

Eugeo bit his lip. "…Kirito…she was trying to kill you…"

Just then, he recalled what Kirito had said before he activated

his Perfect Control. Eugeo continued, "'You can't win with hatred,' you said. Maybe you were right. That Integrity Knight

wasn't fighting out of personal spite or hatred. But…but I still

can't forgive what the Church and Integrity Knights have done. If

they have both incredible power and the will to protect the innocent people who live here…then why can't they use that power

for…for more…"

He stumbled, unable to continue. Kirito got to his feet unsteadily and picked up his black sword from the floor, then indicated that he followed Eugeo's logic.

"They're probably grappling with their own decisions, too. I

bet we'll learn more about this if we meet this knights' commander…Your Perfect Weapon Control was incredible, Eugeo. You

were the one who beat the knights. You have no reason to hate

Fanatio as a person or the Four Whirling Blades anymore…"

"As a human…Yeah…I suppose you're right. I was able to understand that much while we were fighting. She was as strong as

she was because she was human," Eugeo mumbled. Kirito chuckled and agreed.

"They would insist that they stand for absolute good, and

you'd think they were absolute evil, but both sides in this equation are flesh-and-blood humans. Absolute good and evil can't be

determined by regular people."

Eugeo got the feeling that Kirito was saying this as much to

convince himself as anything else.

Kirito, think about how furious you were about that Adminis-

trator…Can you still hold the same opinion when it comes to the

absolute ruler of the Axiom Church and the entire world?

But before he could actually ask the question, Kirito took off

walking for Fanatio, who was still collapsed before the far doors.

After five or six steps, he turned back and rustled in his pockets

for a little bottle.

"Whoops, nearly forgot. Use this to cure the kids' poison. Just

make sure you break their knives and remove any other suspicious tools they might have before you give it to them."

Eugeo caught the bottle, realizing that he'd forgotten about

them, too. He pulled his sword from the floor and turned back to

Fizel and Linel, who were both still sprawled out and paralyzed.

The frost was totally gone from the area now, and the girls didn't

seem to have taken any damage from the ice vines or beams.

When he made eye contact with them, they averted their eyes

(the only part of their bodies they could move) in a sulking fashion.

Lamenting that he wasn't likely to get along with them, although for very different reasons than with Fanatio, Eugeo knelt

down and pulled the two poison swords out of the ground where

Kirito had stuck them. Then he tossed them up, so that they spun

end over end in the air, and smashed them both with one swing of

the Blue Rose Sword.

They shattered easily and melted into little particles of light

before they even hit the floor. He sheathed his sword, knelt again,

and began patting the girls down for more weapons, apologizing

as he did so.

Lastly, he pulled the stopper out of the vial and split the remaining three-quarters of the bottle between Fizel and Linel. Like

Eugeo, they would recover from the poison within ten minutes.

He could have simply left them there, but he tried to imagine

what Kirito would tell them, and decided he would give it a shot.

"…Knowing you two, you might be tempted to think that Fanatio and Kirito are as strong as they are because they have Divine

Objects and Perfect Weapon Control at their disposal…but you'd

be wrong. They're strong to begin with. Their hearts are strong,

not their techniques or weapons, and that's how they can fight

through such terrible pain and perform such incredible feats. You

girls might be skilled at killing people. But killing and winning

are completely separate things. I didn't understand that, either,

until today…"

The girls were still refusing to meet his gaze. Eugeo didn't

know if he was getting through to them at all. He wasn't good at

dealing with children, anyway.

But even then, the two girls must have felt something, watching that fight. It was hard to think of Fizel and Linel as representing absolute evil, given the innocent, childlike way they reacted to

things. Eugeo gave them a brief good-bye, then turned and trotted after Kirito.

As he made his way through the devastated hall, Eugeo

glanced left and right, checking on the condition of Fanatio's four

knights. All four were still collapsed, significantly injured by the

indiscriminate light-beam attack. But in keeping with their lofty

title, none of the Integrity Knights had lost their full life. They

had bled little, and they would probably be moving again before

too long.

But unlike her companions, who merely suffered from the

beams' minor explosions, Fanatio had taken the full brunt of that

charging spear of darkness. Her critical condition was clear from

a distance, judging by the large puddles of blood surrounding her

prone form.

Eugeo came to a stop near Kirito, who was kneeling at her

side. He held his breath and looked over his partner's shoulder at

the knight.

Up close, Fanatio's wounds were so hideous that he could

barely stand to look at them. There were four puncture wounds

on her torso and legs from the beams, her right arm was shredded from the thorns, and she was burned by the aftereffect of her

own final attack. Every bit of her was in tatters.

But the most devastated part of her was, of course, her upper

stomach where the Gigas Cedar's blow landed. There was a deep

gouge the size of a fist pumping blood out constantly. Her face,

eyes closed, was so pale that it had almost taken on the color of

her armor. She didn't even look alive.

Kirito had his hands over Fanatio's stomach in an attempt to

repair her wound with sacred arts. That her Stacia Window

wasn't open was probably a sign that he didn't think it was worth

looking at the actual amount of life left. He sensed Eugeo's approach without looking up and said, "Help me, she won't stop

bleeding."

"Uh…sure," Eugeo said, and he knelt on her other side and put

his hands to the wound, too. Like he had done to Kirito earlier, he

chanted light-based healing sacred arts. It seemed like the flow of

blood was weaker after it, but still far from stopping.

It was clear that if they kept doing this, they would eventually

use up all the resources in the area and be unable to generate

more light elements. They could temporarily refill some of Fanatio's life by giving her theirs, but it would be meaningless if they

didn't stop the bleeding. They needed either a more powerful

arts-user or some legendary healing herb to save her now.

Eugeo watched Kirito purse his lips in worry, then eventually

decided it was time to say it.

"It's no good, Kirito. She's losing too much blood."

Kirito hung his head for a little while, then rasped, "I know…

but if we keep trying to think of an idea…we're sure to find a way.

C'mon, Eugeo, help me."

Eugeo was struck by his powerlessness, and it particularly reminded him of how he had felt two days ago when he'd been unable to prevent the evil acts that befell Ronie and Tiese.

But no matter how hard he thought about it, there simply

wasn't any way to call back the life that was vanishing before their

eyes. For a moment, he even considered healing the four other

knights instead for extra help, but they clearly didn't have the

time for that. If either Kirito or Eugeo stopped healing her, Fanatio's life would run out within a matter of seconds. And even if

they continued, the only difference was that the moment would

arrive in a few minutes instead.

Eugeo summoned his determination and told his partner,

"Kirito, when we escaped from the underground cells, you said

that we needed to be prepared to kill any enemy who came across

our path if we wanted to keep going. That's the mindset you had

going into this battle, right? You knew that one side would live

and the other would die when you used that attack? At the very

least, I don't think Fanatio had any hesitation. It looked like she

was risking her entire life. And I think you know, too, Kirito…that

this isn't the point where we can go easy on the enemy out of concern for them and actually win."

Ultimately, that was what it meant to use a real sword on

someone else, not a wooden one. It was a lesson Eugeo had

learned through personal experience; cutting off Humbert's arm

had left his hands trembling, his eye in agony, and the pit of his

stomach frozen with fear.

He'd always assumed that his black-haired partner had understood these things for ages, ever since they met in the forest of

Rulid.

Kirito clenched his teeth and shook his head. "I know…I know

. She and I fought our hardest…It was a true duel, one where either of us could have won. But…she'll be gone if she dies! She

lived for over a century…worrying, loving, agonizing…and I can't

just erase that soul of hers. I mean…if I die, I just…"

"Huh…?"

"If I die, I just"… what ? Everyone was beckoned up to Stacia's

side and disappeared when their life ran out. Kirito might be

mysterious in many ways, but he was still human and subject to

that universal rule.

But Eugeo's moment of confusion was cut short when Kirito

abruptly looked up and shouted, "Can you hear me, Commander?! Your vice officer is going to die! Or prime senator, whatever

that is! If any of you can hear me, come down and help her!!"

His voice echoed faintly off the distant ceiling and died out

meekly. But he kept shouting.

"Anyone…I know more of you Integrity Knights are up there!

Come and save your companion! Priests, monks… somebody

come!!"

Up above, the disfigured representation of the three gods simply stared down at them in silence. No one was coming—not even

the slightest breeze stirred the air.

Back on the floor, the color continued draining from Fanatio's

hair and skin. Her life was down to a hundred, or maybe fifty.

Eugeo considered suggesting that they observe a moment of silence for Vice Commander Fanatio Synthesis Two as her soul departed for the heavens, but Kirito wouldn't stop screaming.

"Please…someone! If you're watching, help us! Oh…Cardinal!

Come quick, Cardi…"

He abruptly fell silent, as though the words caught in his

throat. Eugeo looked over at him, and he was surprised to see in

his face a transformation from astonishment to hesitation, and

then to determination.

"H-hey…what is it?"

But Kirito didn't answer. He stuck his hand through the collar

of his black shirt—and pulled out a small bronze dagger hanging

from a thin chain.

"Kirito!" Eugeo shouted on impulse. "You know that's—!"

Eugeo had one around his neck, too. Of course he wouldn't

forget the daggers Cardinal had given them before they left the

Great Library. The daggers had no attack capability, but the target of the blade would be temporarily connected to Cardinal.

They were their ultimate weapons. Eugeo would use his on Alice

—and Kirito, on Administrator.

"You can't do that, Kirito! Cardinal said there were no extras

after these! It's for the battle against Administrator…"

"I know that…" Kirito groaned. "But I can save her with this. I

can't have the one thing that will help her right here and simply

choose not to use it…I can't just assign a priority order to people's

lives like that."

He stared down at the dagger in his hand, equal parts pained

and determined. Then he quickly but carefully stuck it into Fanatio's left hand, which was relatively unscathed.

Instantly, the blade and the chain shone bright.

Before there was time to draw a breath, the dagger dissolved

into numerous little strings of purple light. On closer look, the

strings were actually lines of the sacred runes that appeared on

Stacia Windows. The fine little lines of text broke free and

swooped through the air, then vanished into spots all over Fanatio.

The dagger vanished completely, and purple light enveloped

the Integrity Knight's body. Eyes bulging at this astonishing phenomenon, Eugeo belatedly noticed that the blood oozing from the

wound in her upper torso was totally dry now.

"Kirito…"

Eugeo was going to point this out, but a voice from nowhere

cut him off.

"Good grief. I should have known with you."

Kirito's face shot upward. "Cardinal…is that you?!"

"Time is short. Don't ask the obvious."

That combination of sweet voice and irritated tone could only

belong to the previous pontifex they'd met in the Great Library.

"Cardinal…I'm sorry…I—," Kirito stammered.

" Don't apologize to me now ," she snapped, cutting him off.

"Given what I've seen of how you fight, I had an inkling that this

might happen. I understand the situation—I will heal Fanatio

Synthesis Two. But I will have to bring her here, as full recovery

will take some time."

The purple light covering Fanatio's body flashed brighter.

Eugeo had to shut his eyes, and by the time it was safe to look

again, the Integrity Knight was completely gone—and to his surprise, so was the pool of blood on the floor.

There were a few of the little strings of sacred text still floating

in the air. They blinked in synchronization with the sound of Cardinal's voice, which was getting quieter.

"I'll be brief, as the insects are starting to catch on. Based on

the situation, there is a high likelihood that Administrator is not

in a waking state at the moment. If you can reach the top floor

before she wakes, you can eliminate her without needing the

dagger. Hurry…there are few Integrity Knights remaining…"

Eugeo could sense that the invisible corridor to the Great Library was rapidly closing. Cardinal's voice grew distant, and just

before it faded out for good, the light in the air flickered, then fell

to the ground.

Instead, what landed on the marble floor was two little glass

vials. Kirito gazed emptily at the azure liquid for a while before

reaching out to pick them up. He looked at Eugeo and dropped

one in his partner's open palm.

"…Sorry for getting out of hand, Eugeo."

"No…you don't need to apologize. Though I was kind of startled." Eugeo chuckled, eliciting a grin from Kirito at last. He got

steadily to his feet and flicked the stopper out of the vial.

"We'd better accept these generous gifts while we can," he

said.

Eugeo followed his partner's lead, opened the vial, and

downed its contents. It was not at all tasty, kind of like a bitterly

sour siral water without any sugar in it, but it was like a douse of

cold refreshment to a mind exhausted by so much battle. The

substance was healing their damaged life rapidly, the wounds on

Kirito's limbs shrinking moment to moment.

"This is amazing…She could have given us more than just the

two, though," Eugeo commented, which earned him a shrug from

Kirito.

"It would take too long to send such a high-priority object as

dat…er, through sacred arts. I'm actually impressed she pulled

that off in such a short— Whoa! "

Eugeo swiveled to look at Kirito in surprise. "Wh-what?"

"Eugeo…um…don't move. I mean, don't look down."

"Huh?"

Of course, saying so just made it harder not to look down.

Eugeo's head automatically craned toward his feet. He spotted

something that had appeared there without drawing their attention until now.

"Yeep!" he shrieked.

It was about fifty cens long. A long, flat body divided into narrow ringed segments was flanked by a multitude of little legs,

about half of which were resting on Eugeo's shoe. At the tip of

what was likely the head was a line of at least ten little red eyes,

and on either side, a frighteningly long set of needlelike horns,

each one waving on its own. It was probably some kind of insect,

but it looked more bizarre than disgusting. There were plenty of

bugs around Rulid, but none looked like this.

With Eugeo frozen in surprise, the mystery creature waved its

feelers around for about three seconds, then began climbing from

his shoe up his pants in earnest. He shrieked again and jumped.

"Yeep…!!"

He stomped his foot. The bug fell, landing on its back, then

flipped over and promptly scuttled between his legs. Eugeo

leaped up and down several times, trying to keep himself away

from the creature—and eventually, tragedy struck.

With a crisp crack and the sensation of something snapping

and squishing underfoot, Eugeo's right foot came straight down

on the thing.

Bright-orange liquid spurted in all directions, releasing a

sharp, pungent odor. Eugeo nearly fainted when he saw the severed legs still attempting to crawl, but he used superhuman effort

to avoid passing out or vomiting. He looked up to Kirito for help.

But his trustworthy partner was now a good three mels away

and backing up quickly.

"H-hey…hey! Where are you going?!" he demanded, his voice

cracking.

Kirito just shook his head, face pale. "S-sorry. This isn't my

kind of thing."

"It's not my kind of thing, either!"

"Bugs like that always come the same way: You kill one, then

ten more show up."

"Don't you dare say that!!"

Eugeo lowered his waist, ready to leap onto Kirito and take

them both down together, when a purple light suddenly flashed

below him, causing him to freeze again.

Beneath his shoe, the wretched remains were evaporating into

light. Within a few seconds, the spattered gunk and broken carapace were totally gone. Eugeo felt the soothing calm of deep relief.

Noticing from a distance that the danger had passed, Kirito returned rather matter-of-factly and noted, "…Ah, right, I see. That

must be one of the familiars that Administrator has prowling

around, looking for Cardinal. I bet it smelled the connection to

the library…"

"…"

Eugeo glared up at Kirito with no small measure of hatred,

then gave up and replied, "So…you're saying there's a bunch more

of those things crawling around the tower? I've never seen anything like it until now."

"Remember how there was that shuffling on the other side of

the door when we escaped into the library from the rose garden?

They're probably good at hiding—and I'm not gonna try snooping

around to find them. Plus, Cardinal said something strange…

about Administrator being in a non-waking state or something…"

"You're right, she did…So she's sleeping? In the middle of the

day…?" Eugeo wondered.

Kirito rubbed at his chin and answered doubtfully, "Cardinal

said that Administrator and the Integrity Knights were making

certain sacrifices to be able to live for centuries. Administrator in

particular sleeps almost the entire time…but it makes me wonder

how she's controlling the bugs and the knights…"

He looked down at the floor for a while and then scratched at

his bangs as he murmured, "But I guess we'll find out the answer

when we go up there. Anyway, Eugeo, can you take a look at my

back?"

"H-huh?"

Kirito spun around before he could react. Baffled, Eugeo's eyes

slid across the black fabric, which looked tattered from the rigors

of so much battle but was otherwise normal.

"Um…I don't see anything wrong…"

"I'm just wondering…Do you see a little bug on it? Kind of a

spidery thing."

"No, nothing."

"Okay. That's good. Well, let's start the second half!"

Kirito started walking for the huge doors at the north end of

the hall, and Eugeo had to rush after him.

"Hey, what was that all about?!"

"Oh, it's nothing."

"Well, now I can't help but be worried! Look at my back now!"

"Trust me, you shouldn't be concerned."

They proceeded onward, bickering and joking like they'd done

ever since Rulid, but deep down, Eugeo practiced the question he

really wanted to ask.

If you're always so calm and collected all the time, what

made you so distraught about Fanatio's death? What was supposed to come after, "If I die, I just…"?

Kirito…who are you…?

The swordsman in black stopped at the massive doors several

times his height, reached out with both hands, and heaved them

open. A gust of cold air rushed to meet them, and Eugeo had to

turn his face away.

3

Beyond the double doors was a chamber about the same size as

the entrance hall they came up through on the southern end of

the Great Hall. It, too, was rectangular, with long, narrow windows on the far wall that offered a view of deep-blue sky.

But the black-and-white-patterned stone floor was missing

one crucial element: the staircase that would take them to the

fifty-first floor and above. They looked all over, but there wasn't

even a hanging rope, much less a ladder. There was only a strange

circular recess in the stone floor, and Eugeo couldn't see a single

thing that suggested a way up.

"No…no stairs," he mumbled, following Kirito farther into the

dim room. The flow of cold air across the back of his neck made

him hunch his shoulders. His partner noticed it, too, and they

both looked straight up.

"…Wha…?"

"What is that…?"

Then they fell silent.

There was no ceiling. There was just empty space in the same

shape as the room itself—no, a vertical shaft—that stretched up as

far as the eye could see. The top was lost to thick darkness, making it impossible to tell how high it went.

As their eyes traveled slowly back down to ground level, they

realized that the shaft was not just a smooth, hollow space. Along

the side of the shaft, at heights corresponding to the levels above,

were doors leading to each successive floor, albeit smaller than

the double doors they'd just come through. Extending from each

door was a narrow little terrace that stretched about halfway

across the shaft.

So all they had to do to infiltrate the floors above was get to

those terraces. In a daze, Eugeo reached out and jumped into the

air.

"…Of course I can't reach it…," he mumbled. Even the lowest

of the terraces was higher than the ceiling of the Great Hall of

Ghostly Light, well over twenty mels overhead.

Next to him, neck outstretched, Kirito asked weakly, "Listen…

Just checking here, but there aren't any sacred arts for flying,

right?"

"Nope," he answered without pity. "Only the Integrity Knights

have the right to fly. And they use flying dragons, not sacred

arts…"

"Okay…Then how do the people here get up to the fifty-first

floor and higher?"

"I don't know…"

They puzzled over that one together. Just when it seemed like

they would have no choice but to turn back to the Great Hall and

ask Fanatio's subordinates for help, Kirito whispered, "Something's coming."

"Huh?"

Eugeo looked back up the shaft.

Something was indeed approaching. A dark shape was coming

slowly down the shaft, nearly grazing the uniform edges of the

vertical line of terraces. They jumped backward out of the way,

and Eugeo watched the shadow descend closer, hand on his

sword hilt.

It was a perfect circle about two mels across. Given the way the

edges glinted in the blue light from the narrow windows, it appeared to be forged from steel. But why was this object just floating slowly down the shaft without any visible means of support?

As the disc passed the terrace two floors above, speed steady

the entire way, Eugeo began to hear an odd hissing sound. Again,

he was aware of cold air flowing over the back of his neck.

He could neither run away nor draw his sword, but stood in

place dumbfounded as the disc brushed the terrace overhead and

descended toward them. When it was just a few mels away, he

noticed a small hole in the middle of the disc's underside that was

emitting little bursts of air, which explained the strange sounds

and breezes.

But how could the power of wind alone keep such a large

metal platter floating in the air? The object's hissing grew louder

and louder as its descent gradually slowed, until at last it came to

fit perfectly in the circular depression in the middle of the floor

with a soft thunk .

The top of the disc was polished as smooth as a mirror. There

was a finely decorated silver handrail placed around the rim. In

the center of the disc was a straight glass tube about one mel tall

and fifty cens wide. Next to the tube was a girl, with both hands

resting on the bulged spherical end.

"…?!"

Eugeo took another step backward and squeezed the hilt of his

sword. He tensed, ready for the revelation of a new knight.

But very soon, he realized that the girl was not equipped with

so much as a knife anywhere on her body, much less a sword.

And she was wearing a long black skirt that seemed unsuited to

combat. The white apron from chest to knees with an understated

crochet pattern around the edges was about the most decorative

element in her outfit, and she had no articles or accessories otherwise.

Her grayish brown hair was cut straight across at eyebrow and

shoulder level, and the features of her pale face were unremarkable. They looked fine but lacked character or expression. She appeared a bit younger than Eugeo, but there was no way to be sure.

Eugeo gazed at her eyes, wondering who she was, but they

were downcast, the lashes covering them so that he couldn't even

make out their color. She folded her hands in front of the apron,

still not looking at either of them, and bowed deeply before saying at last, "Pardon me for the wait. What floor will you be visiting?"

It was a voice devoid of emotion and with only a bare minimum of inflection. At the very least, there was no hostility, either,

so Eugeo took his hand off his sword. He repeated her question.

"What…floor? Are you saying that you're going to take us

higher up?" he asked, scarcely believing it.

She lowered her face again. "That is correct. Please tell me the

floor you wish to visit."

"Um…well…"

Eugeo wasn't sure what to say; he'd grown to assume that anyone they met in the cathedral would be an enemy. Next to speak

was Kirito, who was often just as inscrutable in his own way.

"Well, um, we're wanted men who snuck into the cathedral…

so are we allowed to ride on this elev—I mean, this flying disc?"

The girl's head tilted the tiniest bit in confusion, then returned

to position. "My job is merely to operate this floating platform. I

am under no other orders."

"I see. In that case, we'd be happy for a ride," Kirito said, walking right up to the circle.

Eugeo called out, "H-hey! Are you sure about that?"

"Well, it doesn't look like there's any other way to get up."

"Uh…I guess you're right, but…"

After what the two child knights did to them, Eugeo was

stunned that his partner could be so trusting again, but on the

other hand, they had no clue how to operate the disc. He simply

had to tell himself that if it was a trap, they could somehow jump

to the nearest terrace.

They stepped onto the disc through a gap in the delicate

handrail. Kirito peered at the glass curiously and told the girl,

"Well, uh, take us to the highest floor this can go."

"Yes, sir. Ascending to the Cloudtop Garden on the eightieth

floor. Please keep your hands and feet behind the guardrail at all

times," she replied, bowing, and put her hands on the top of the

tube.

Then she sucked in a breath and said, "System Call. Generate

Aerial Element."

Eugeo's first instinct was that she was about to attack them

with sacred arts, but he immediately realized he was wrong. The

shining green wind elements appeared inside the clear tube. But

it was the number that amazed him—a full ten, which marked her

as a considerable master of the arts.

The girl lifted her right thumb, index, and middle fingers off

the glass tube and murmured, "Burst Element."

Three of the elements flashed green, and a rumble started

under their feet. With all three of them on top, the metal disc

began to rise as though lifted by an invisible hand.

"Aha! So that's how it works," Kirito exclaimed, and thus the

pieces clicked into place for Eugeo as well. The tube running

through the middle of the disc released wind elements, pushing

the explosion of wind downward and propelling the disc and the

weight of its three passengers upward.

It was very simple once they knew how it worked, but the

movement of the disc was so smooth that they barely felt it. Aside

from a brief feeling of pressure at the start, it essentially floated

up without the slightest bit of movement.

The marble floor dropped farther and farther away, and it hit

Eugeo that this floating disc was going to take them to the eightieth floor of the cathedral—in other words, an elevation up in the

clouds. He wiped his sweaty palms on his pants and clenched the

handrail.

Kirito, meanwhile, was taking it all in stride as though he'd

ridden on such a thing before. He made sounds of admiration as

he examined the disc, and when that was done, he turned his attention to the person operating it.

"How long have you been doing this job?"

With just the faintest note of surprise in her voice, the downcast girl replied, "This is the one-hundred-and-seventh year since

I received this Calling."

"A hund—?" Eugeo gaped, forgetting about the distance under

their feet. He took over for Kirito and asked, "Y-you've been moving this floating platform for…a hundred and seven years?!"

"Not…all that time. I receive a break for lunch, and I do rest at

night."

"Er…that wasn't what I meant…"

But perhaps it did explain what he wanted to know. Like the

Integrity Knights, her life had been frozen so that she lived atop

this little plate of metal for what was essentially eternity.

The disc rose, slowly but surely. Whatever emotions the girl

might have had, she kept them hidden. As one wind element ran

out, she released another, then another, each time with the command, "Burst." Eugeo wondered how many times she had said

that word before and realized that he couldn't imagine it.

"Hey…what's your name?" Kirito asked suddenly.

She put on her most pronounced display of confusion yet. "My

name is…forgotten. I am simply called the operator of this platform. My name is…the Operator."

Kirito was unable to mount a reply to this. Eugeo counted the

terraces as they passed, and by the time he reached twenty, he felt

an impulse to say something to break the silence.

"…Um…so, listen…We're going up there to defeat a very powerful person in the Axiom Church. The person who gave you this

Calling."

"Is that so?" was her only reply.

But Eugeo pressed on, knowing that his words probably meant

nothing. "If…if the Church disappears, and you're released from

this Calling, what will you do…?"

"…Released…?" she repeated awkwardly. The girl named Operator was silent for a whole five terraces.

Eugeo glanced up and saw, to his surprise, that the gray ceiling

was now in sight and approaching. That would be the base of the

eightieth floor. At last, they were reaching the central core of the

Axiom Church.

"I…I do not know anything but the world of this shaft," the girl

blurted out. "Therefore…I cannot possibly choose what my next

Calling should be…but if I had a wish…"

For the first time, she lifted her face and stared through the

narrow windows on the right wall, out to the pure-blue sky.

"…I wish that I could fly this platform out there…wherever I

could go…"

Eugeo saw, now that they were visible at last, that her eyes

were the absolute crystal blue of midsummer sky.

Just before the final wind element flickered and died, the disc

reached the thirtieth terrace and slowly floated to a halt. The Operator removed her hands from the glass tube, folded them in

front of her apron, and bowed.

"Thank you for waiting. This is the eightieth floor, the Cloudtop Garden."

"…Thank you."

Eugeo and Kirito bowed back and stepped onto the terrace.

She dipped her head briefly one more time, looking down again,

and as the wind element weakened, the platform began to descend. That rustling sound of the wind expelling faded, and eventually the tiny, confined world of metal trapped in time was gone.

Eugeo lamented, "…And I thought my old Calling felt endless…" Kirito shot him a look, eyebrow raised, so he explained,

"At least I was lucky enough that I could retire after getting too

old to swing an ax. Compared to what she's been doing…"

"Cardinal said that even if you freeze the natural degradation

of life, you can't prevent the soul from aging. Eventually your

memories start to crumble, and then it all falls apart in the end,"

Kirito said, downcast.

He turned around, forcefully cutting off that line of thought,

and faced away from the long vertical shaft. "What the Axiom

Church is doing is wrong. It's why we've come all this way to put a

stop to Administrator. But that's not the end of it, Eugeo. The real

problem is what comes after…"

"Huh…? Weren't we going to leave things up to Cardinal after we

beat Administrator?" Eugeo asked. Kirito's lips moved as he

sought the right thing to say, but there was a rare moment of hesitation in his eyes. He turned away.

"Kirito…?"

"…Actually, I'll tell you the rest after we get Alice back. This

isn't the time to be thinking about extra stuff."

"Well…okay, I guess," Eugeo replied. Kirito hurried down the

terrace to escape his gaze. Eugeo followed after him, feeling no

small amount of apprehension about what had just been mentioned, but the sudden surge of tension that gripped him when he

saw the large doors ahead swept away his concern.

Given how many Integrity Knights had been waiting for them

on the fiftieth floor, it seemed clear that whoever was giving the

orders—Fanatio had mentioned a prime senator—intended to put

a stop to them right then and there. It was practically a miracle

that they had withstood the furious assault of the knights and

won.

Now that they had broken through that barricade to threaten

the top floor, this prime senator would use whatever power necessary to stop them. They might open this door and come across

the commander of the Integrity Knights with all the remaining

members, flanked by powerful priests and monks to cast sacred

arts from a distance.

But there were no side routes in. Whatever awaited, they had

to meet it head-on.

Kirito and I can do this.

They shared a look of determination, reached out to the doors,

and gave a push together. The large slabs rolled inward.

"…!"

The resulting combination of color, trickling water, and sweet

scent was so overwhelming that Eugeo couldn't believe his senses

at first.

They were still inside the tower. The same white marble wall

as the rest of the obelisk was visible in the distance ahead. But the

floor here was no longer stone tile; instead, it had thick, soft

grass. Here and there bloomed holy flowers, which were the

source of the scent.

To Eugeo's surprise, there was even a pristine little brook a

short distance away, its surface sparkling. From the doorway ran

a narrow brick-lined path that crossed over the brook with a

wooden footbridge before continuing on.

Beyond the river was a small hill. The path snaked its way up

and over the slope, which was covered in flowers. Eugeo followed

the trail with his eyes all the way to a single tree standing at the

top of the hill.

It wasn't a very big tree. The thin branches supported darkgreen leaves and little orange cross-shaped flowers. The light of

Solus coming through the windows just below the high ceiling fell

right on that tree, illuminating the flowers like gold.

The slender trunk also shone in the sunlight—and at its base

was a flash of even brighter gold…

"Ah…!"

Eugeo didn't even register the gasp that came from his mouth.

From the moment he saw the girl resting against the trunk

with her eyes closed, he failed to think of anything else.

Like some trick of the gentle, dappled sunlight, the girl's entire

form shone with gold. The beautiful armor that covered her top

half and arms was already dazzling gold to begin with, and her

long white skirt had embroidered highlights of similarly colored

thread. Even her polished white leather boots seemed to radiate

in the sunlight.

But more beautiful and glowing than anything else was her

long, flowing hair. It was perfectly straight, running from her perfectly curved head down her back, like a waterfall of holy light

and molten gold.

Years ago, he had seen that hair every single day. He had

tugged on it and jammed twigs into it, innocent and ignorant of

its glory and fragility.

That golden shine that was a symbol for friendship, longing,

and just a tinge of love, turned in the course of a single day into a

reminder of Eugeo's weakness, ugliness, and cowardice. Now the

light that should have remained forever out of his grasp was in

reach once more.

"A…Ali…ce…," he mumbled, scarcely hearing the words. He

lurched toward her, wobbling down the brick path. Eugeo

couldn't even sense the pleasant fragrance of the holy flowers or

the babbling of the brook. The only sensations that connected

him to the rest of the world were the warmth of his sweaty hand

clutching the collar of his shirt and the pulsing sensation of the

little dagger beneath the fabric.

He crossed the bridge over the water and started up the hillside. Less than twenty mels to reach the top.

As he looked up, he saw the downward-facing features of the

girl, clear as day. There was no expression of any kind on that

pure white skin. She just sat there, eyes closed, floating in the

warmth of the sun and the scent of the flowers.

Is she sleeping?

If he snuck up on her and held out the dagger to prick one of

the fingers resting on top of her knees…would that be the end of

it, right there?

Just then, Alice raised her hand, and Eugeo stopped, his heart

leaping into his throat. Her shining lips opened to let him hear

that familiar voice.

"Please wait just a little longer. The weather is so nice, I want

to let her soak in the sun a bit more."

Her eyes, bordered by golden lashes, slowly opened.

Irises a shade of blue that existed nowhere else in the world

met Eugeo's gaze. He anticipated a softening in her look, the hint

of a smile to play over those lips.

But the blue of those crystal eyes was not gentle like it once

was. It was the color of permanent ice, unmelting under centuries

of sun. Eugeo was trapped in place, an intruder caught in the

sights of a sentinel.

So battle would be unavoidable.

Lost memory or not, she was Alice Zuberg from the village of

Rulid, and now he would have to point his sword at her—to return her to normal. No matter how hard and unforgiving the fight

would be.

He understood the strength of Alice Synthesis Thirty, Integrity

Knight. He'd learned it by experience, when she smacked him in

the face with her scabbard. He hadn't merely been taken by surprise; he hadn't even seen the blow before it landed. How difficult

would it be to neutralize a warrior of such skill without hurting

her, either?

She could not be fought with anything less than his greatest effort.

But can I even manage to cut a single lock of her golden hair?

He couldn't take a single step forward, much less draw his

sword for battle.

While Eugeo struggled like never before, Kirito approached

from the rear and murmured hoarsely, "You shouldn't fight,

Eugeo. Just think of how to stick Alice with Cardinal's dagger,

that's all. I'll block her attacks with my body if I have to."

"B-but…"

"It's the only way. The longer the battle goes, the worse our

odds get. I'll take Alice's first hit on purpose, hold her down, and

then you use the dagger. Got that?"

"…"

He bit his lip. In the fight against Deusolbert, and again versus

Fanatio, it had been Kirito who suffered all the bloodletting. And

this mad rebellion against the Axiom Church had all stemmed

from Eugeo's own personal desire in the first place.

"…Sorry," he muttered, feeling abashed.

"You don't have to apologize," said Kirito, sounding more normal now. "I'll give it back to you double…But, that aside…"

"…? What is it?"

"Well…based on what I can see from here, she doesn't seem to

be armed. Plus…who was she talking about…?"

Eugeo focused on Alice again, sitting atop the hill. She had

closed her eyes and put her head down again, but sure enough,

that golden whip from their encounter at Swordcraft Academy

was nowhere to be seen.

"Maybe she's on break and left her sword somewhere else…

Boy, wouldn't that be helpful," Eugeo hoped, without any audible

conviction.

Kirito brushed the hilt of his black sword. "I feel bad, but we

can't wait for her to stop napping in the sun. If we attack now,

whether she has her sword or not, she won't have time to cast her

Perfect Weapon Control. If there's one thing we need above all

else, it's to prevent that from happening."

"Good point…My Perfect Control doesn't use up too much of

the sword's life, so I think I can use it two more times today…"

"That'd be great. But one more's the limit for me. And we

should have this knight's commander after Alice, too. Anyway…

here goes."

Kirito signaled to him, then took a step forward. Eugeo summoned his courage and followed.

They stepped off the brick path, which wound around the hill,

and headed straight for the top. Their boots rustled the grass.

When they were halfway up the slope, Alice stood. Through halfopen lids, her emotionless, icy gaze met them.

Instantly, as though her vision itself could cast sacred arts,

Eugeo felt his legs turn to lead. Despite the lack of any weapon,

Eugeo's legs seemed to be refusing to get any closer to Alice. Was

that one bash to the cheek enough for his body to have learned its

own subconscious lesson? Yet it seemed like Kirito's pace was losing steam up ahead, too.

"…So you have come all this way up at last," Alice's crystalclear voice rang out. "I made the decision that even if you should

somehow escape your cells, Eldrie would be enough to stop you

cold in the rose garden. Yet you defeated him, and then Deusolbert with his divine weapon, and even Fanatio, before setting foot

in the Cloudtop Garden."

Her arched brows darkened. There was a faint note of mourning from her cherry lips. "What in the world is giving you your

power? Why do you seek to unravel the tranquility of our realm?

Why do you not understand that for every Integrity Knight you

harm, a major weapon against the forces of darkness is lost?"

It's for you. That's all this is , Eugeo thought. But he knew that

this statement would mean nothing to the Alice facing him now.

He clenched his teeth and put all his concentration into moving

forward.

"I suppose I shall only have my answers by the blade. Very

well…if that is what you seek," she relented, placing her hand on

the trunk of the tree.

But she has no blade , Eugeo protested, right as Kirito mumbled, "No way—"

There was a flash of light, and the little tree sitting atop the hill

vanished.

" ?!"

A moment later, there was a rush of thick, sweet fragrance,

and then it was totally gone.

In Alice's right hand was now a familiar longsword. A weapon

made entirely of shining gold, from blade to hilt to sheath. A

cross-shaped pattern of flowers decorated the hilt.

Right in that moment, Eugeo didn't understand what had happened.

The tree vanished, and the sword appeared. Did the tree

change into the sword? But Alice did not give any commands.

Whether it was a simple illusion or some kind of ultra-high-level

matter-conversion art, it should have been impossible without a

verbal command.

But…not unless the tree changed its form based on only Alice's

thoughts, making it…

Kirito reached the conclusion a split second before Eugeo did.

He snapped, "Dammit, that's not good…Her sword might already

be in Perfect Control mode!"

Alice stared down at the stunned boys, holding her sword flat

with both hands. She drew it crisply, the blade a deeper golden

yellow than the sheath, gleaming as it reflected the light of Solus.

In an instant, Kirito was rushing forward. Whatever power it

was that Alice's sword held, he was determined to force close

combat before she could utilize her Perfect Control over it. He

tore up the hill, blades of grass flying, and crossed nearly the entire distance within ten steps.

Eugeo tried his hardest to follow after his partner, still clutching the chain around his neck. Kirito wasn't going to draw his

weapon. Like he said, he was going to block Alice's first attack

with his body, which would give them just a tiny amount of time

to hold her back. It was absolutely imperative that Eugeo take advantage of that window to hit her with the dagger.

Nothing in Alice's expression changed with the black swordsman charging up at her. She calmly, almost carelessly, pulled her

sword back.

Kirito wasn't yet within sword range. Was it a ranged attack,

like Deusolbert's and Fanatio's? If so, she might stop Kirito at a

distance, but it would still leave Eugeo with enough time to get in

close with the dagger.

Eugeo peeled off from Kirito and kept running at a different

angle.

Alice's right hand swung forward—and the golden blade disappeared.

"?!"

It did not actually disappear. It was more like a disintegration.

The sword split into hundreds, thousands of pieces that hurtled

at Kirito like a golden storm.

"Aaagh!!"

Kirito was knocked clean off his feet by the shining swarm.

Eugeo gritted his teeth and raced onward, determined to make

use of the momentary diversion his partner created.

But the golden wind did not stop there. With a sound like

rustling leaves, it abruptly darted left in midair to engulf Eugeo

next.

The force was irresistible. It felt like a giant swatting him with

the palm of its hand, knocking him over on his right side.

Each individual fragment, less than a cen in length, was

tremendously heavy. Eugeo instinctually covered his face with his

left arm as he landed on the grass and felt a searing pain there. It

was all he could do not to scream and roll around in agony.

The swarm of gold pieces, having easily stopped them, flew

back to Alice's side, where they hovered around the knight rather

than returning to sword form.

In fact, on closer examination, all of the shards were crossshaped combinations of even smaller diamond-shaped pieces. It

was the same as the design on the hilt of the sword—the shape of

the flowers from the tree.

"Are you mocking me? Why else would you run for me without

drawing your weapons?" she asked, still without the slightest hint

of emotion. "I held back on that attack, as a warning. The next

time, I will eliminate your life. Use all the power you possess, for

the honor of those knights you already defeated."

She…held back? And that tremendous power was the result…?

As Eugeo watched in horror, the golden flowers audibly bristled with metallic sounds in unison. The tips of the petals, which

had previously been rounded and smooth, were now sharper than

the end of a rapier. It wouldn't just be a body blow anymore;

those points would split the skin and sever bone.

Deep fear plunged Eugeo's limbs into numbing, icy water.

Even a single one of those golden flowers could take his life down

to dangerous levels if it struck the right spot—and there were at

least two or three hundred circling around in the swarm. It was

impossible to deflect them all with a sword, and probably just as

difficult to evade the practically sentient multitude. Alice's Perfect

Weapon Control was almost too perfect, and all-powerful…

Yes. It was too perfect.

Perfect Weapon Control of a Divine Object was very powerful,

but even that had its limits. The core of the power was extracting

the "memory" of the weapon's material and turning it into an exaggerated physical property: heat, cold, toughness, speed. For it

to specialize in one area, by necessity it had to sacrifice power in

others.

Fanatio's Perfect Control was so developed in terms of compressing light to that powerful beam that it was overturned by

Kirito's simple mirror response.

Whatever the nature of the little tree that was the core of

Alice's weapon, if the sum of its potential was split among so

many tiny objects—focusing on accuracy—then the attack power

of each individual petal must be small. It just didn't add up that

those little objects less than a cen across could have the weight of

a giant's fist.

In order for that to be possible, the slender little tree with or-

ange flowers had to be an ultra-high-priority object, even more

powerful than the Gigas Cedar that was the basis for Kirito's

sword…

Nearby, Kirito lifted his head, his face a pale mixture of astonishment and horror as he arrived at the same conclusion as

Eugeo. But not knowing the meaning of the word resignation , he

turned determined eyes toward Eugeo and mouthed, Chant .

Getting through the storm of petals by orthodox methods was

impossible. The only way was to immobilize the actual wielder

through the Blue Rose Sword's own Perfect Control. Earlier, Alice

was swinging around the naked hilt to match the movement of

the flowers. That suggested that the mass of petals wasn't moving

solely of her own control.

From his prone position, Eugeo subtly laid a hand on the hilt

of the Blue Rose Sword and began to recite the Perfect Control

chant at a barely audible level. If Alice noticed him and attacked,

he'd be totally defenseless, but Kirito would handle that.

As he expected, Kirito bolted to his feet just at that moment

and called out in a loud, deliberate challenge, "I apologize for

treating a proud Integrity Knight in a manner lacking in proper

respect! Kirito, student of the sword, seeks a proper duel of blade

against blade with the Integrity Knight Alice!"

He thumped his right fist against his chest and dipped his

head, then grabbed the hilt of his sword from his left side. After

drawing his pitch-black weapon with a vicious shing , he held it

up in a stance, as if to split the golden aura that surrounded the

knight.

Alice gazed at him, her blue eyes all-knowing, then blinked

and said, "Very well. I shall ascertain the nature of your wickedness from the way you fight."

She motioned with the hilt. With a sound like waves, the cloud

of golden flowers gathered within reach like a little dust devil and

assembled themselves into the shape of a perfect, unbroken

blade. They made a ch-ching! sound and fused, returning to the

form of that golden sword.

As she approached, regally holding her sword at chest level,

Kirito moved his blade low and said, "It is inevitable that one of

us will fall once we cross blades. Before that happens, answer me

this: I see that your divine weapon takes its form from the tree

that was on the hilltop previously. How does such a small tree

hold such incredible power?"

It was obviously a stall for time, but Kirito really did want to

know the truth behind the golden sword's Perfect Control. Eugeo

was curious, himself. He listened in as he continued reciting.

Alice took three steps forward before coming to a halt. She

paused, then opened her mouth to speak.

"It would be pointless to tell you just before you die…but I

suppose I shall do you this favor on your path to Heaven. The

name of my weapon is the Osmanthus Blade. As the name suggests, it was once nothing but a simple osmanthus tree."

Osmanthus was a type of small tree that bloomed tiny orange

flowers in the fall. It hardly grew at all around Rulid, but Eugeo

had seen a few in Centoria. It certainly wasn't a one-of-a-kind

specimen like the Gigas Cedar.

"As you said, it is merely a small tree—except for its age. The

place where Central Cathedral stands now was once, in the distant past, the Place of Beginning, which the creation goddess Stacia gifted to humanity. In the center of the little village was a

beautiful spring, with a single osmanthus tree growing on its

bank…according to the first chapter of Genesis. That tree is the

origin from which this sword was forged. Do you understand?

This Osmanthus Blade is the oldest thing in existence."

"Wh-what…?" Kirito gasped.

She continued, "This sword is a reincarnation of the tree that

God herself placed. Its quality is 'everlasting eternity.' Even a single fallen petal will split stone and tear the earth where it lands…

just as you experienced for yourselves. Do you now understand

what it is you face?"

"…Yeah, I get it," Kirito replied obligingly. "So it's the first indestructible object that God placed, huh…They just keep upping

the ante with these things they pull out. But I can't waste my time

being amazed by it."

He brandished his black sword high, now seemingly rather insignificant in comparison to a tree-based weapon of a much

higher notoriety. "Integrity Knight Alice…let us fight!"

The black swordsman leaped off the ground, audibly ripping

his way through the air. He charged with such speed that it was

hard to believe he was the one going uphill.

Kirito likely believed that if he could start his combination attack within close range, no matter what Alice's weapon was, he

could seize the advantage. Fanatio's ability to respond in kind

was a product of her unique personal mastery of the combination

arts and surely was exceptional among the knights.

As Kirito and Eugeo expected, Alice pulled her sword back

overhead in honest response to Kirito's high slice. She couldn't

block him if he segued that high attack to a mid-level one next.

The downward burst of black lightning met with the Osmanthus Blade, sending up pale sparks.

But the second attack did not instantly emerge.

Alice's sword barely budged, but Kirito bounced backward, as

though he had tried to smash a boulder with a stick, and lost his

balance.

"Whoa…"

The slope played havoc with his feet, forcing him to take several wobbly steps, while Alice pursued with the grace of rushing

water.

Her left hand extended fully, all the way to her fingertips. The

golden sword drew back straight behind her, leaving her front

wide open. It was an old-fashioned style, not nearly as practical

as the Aincrad style, but between the flowing blond hair and waving skirt, there was a kind of painterly beauty to the sight.

" Eiii! " she cried, swinging the sword forward in a semicircle.

The speed was tremendous—but the movement was too grand.

Kirito had recovered his balance and had plenty of time to

hold up his sword.

Grakk! The two swords clashed. Once again, it was Kirito who

spun away from the impact like a top. He put a hand to the grass

to avoid falling off his feet as he slid down, nearly to the foot of

the hill.

At last, Eugeo understood the nature of what he was seeing.

The weight of each blow was off the charts.

With his high-priority divine weapon and special Aincrad

combination attacks, Kirito had bested a number of Integrity

Knights to this point, but the Osmanthus Blade was likely several

times heavier than Kirito's black one. At that speed, it was hard

enough just to survive the attack, much less deflect the impact.

And that wasn't all. As the first impact had proven, even when

Kirito was the one attacking, he wound up getting knocked off

balance. The outcome was obvious.

Realizing this for himself, Kirito scrambled to his feet and took

several hasty steps in retreat. Alice glided after him.

It was as one-sided a fight for Kirito as had ever happened in

the last two years.

With her flowing, methodical beauty, Alice attacked again and

again. The young man did his best to block and was knocked

around miserably each time. He might have fought back had he

been able to dodge, but for the great size of her swings, Alice's

aim was extremely fast and accurate, such that Kirito could never

evade her cleanly.

Eugeo finished his command, following the two with bated

breath. He would have to unleash his Perfect Weapon Control

while his friend was still able to block the attacks.

After just five blows, Kirito was already pressed up against the

western garden wall. There was nothing but hard marble behind

him and nowhere else to run.

Alice pointed the tip of her sword at her trapped foe, expression as cool as ever, and said, "I see. You are only the second to

evade my strikes for so long. No doubt, you have great determination and belief that propelled you up the tower. But you are far

short of destabilizing the Church. And I cannot allow you to endanger the peace of the realm."

There was no weakness to exploit in the golden knight's regal

stance. Even from behind, Eugeo felt that she could react and

stop his sacred arts.

Say something, Kirito. I just need a moment, a chance , Eugeo

thought as he ran, but his partner just glared at her fiercely with

his back to the wall and held his silence.

"Then prepare yourself," she said, lifting the Osmanthus Blade

up to point straight at the heavens.

There was a moment's silence.

Then, with a terrible air-ripping noise, golden light appeared.

Forcing his eyes as far open as possible, Kirito moved his hand

at blurring speed.

A metallic clash. Sparks.

He didn't absorb the blow, but he diverted it. Sword met

sword at the slightest possible angle, just enough to shift the trajectory of Alice's unfathomably heavy swing.

The Osmanthus Blade ran through a spot just a single cen to

the left of Kirito's head: smooth marble wall. A few strands of

black hair flew into the air and vanished.

Then he leaped at her. He held down her right hand with his

left and locked his other arm around hers. At long last, that succeeded in getting a facial reaction from the previously unshakable

Alice.

Now.

"Enhance Armament!!" Eugeo screamed, thrusting the Blue

Rose Sword into the grass at his feet.

In an instant, the ground was white with ice. The wave of frost

raced forward and swallowed Kirito and Alice where they stood,

about ten mels away.

A rush of icy vines grew up their legs. They formed blue crystal

chains that wound around the two bodies. Kirito's black clothes

and Alice's white armor were soon covered in thick ice.

Kirito, Alice, I'm sorry!

He continued pumping out more and more ice vines. After

seeing what Alice could do, no amount felt like enough to hold

her down.

The crackling vines gripped tighter and tighter until they eventually changed into a single thick pillar of ice. The giant crystal,

multifaceted like a raw gemstone, glistened quietly with the two

combatants trapped inside. The only thing extending from the

block was Alice's hand and the Osmanthus Blade in it, stuck into

the wall. Frozen in time within the blue ice was a look of slight

surprise on Alice's face and sheer determination on Kirito's.

One prick of the dagger on her extended arm, and it was all

over.

Eugeo let go of the Blue Rose Sword and stood up. The Perfect

Weapon Control would be undone now, but that huge block of ice

wouldn't melt naturally for many minutes. He squeezed his little

dagger and took a step forward, then another…

When his third step landed, golden light exploded.

"Ah…!"

To his shock, Alice's trapped sword was disintegrating into

countless petals again.

With a stately, harmonic thrum, the storm of golden flowers

circled the pillar. The tiny cross-shaped blades swarmed and

chiseled the ice as Eugeo watched helplessly. If he jumped into

that fray now, he would lose his life before getting a single step

closer.

The flowers shredded the ice until there was just a thin layer

left, then fluttered up higher into the air. With a delicate crack,

what was left of the ice pillar crumbled to the ground.

Alice thrust Kirito toward Eugeo with the hand that was grappling with him, brushed loose a bit of ice still stuck in her hair,

and, as if nothing had just happened, said, "Did you not seek to

reach a conclusion through a sword competition? It was an amusing diversion…but mere ice cannot hope to contain my flowers. I

will fight you next, so stay there and wait your turn."

She extended her right hand, and the cloud of petals instantly

coalesced back into their original—

"Enhance Armament!!" screamed Kirito.

However it was that he had found the time to recite the chant,

Kirito's black sword sprayed out darkness.

It plunged not for Alice herself—but for the Osmanthus Blade,

just before it was whole again.

"Wha…?!"

For the first time, Alice was startled.

The surge of darkness scattered her golden petals and ruptured her control over them.

With an ear-shattering roar, dueling storms of black and gold

rumbled and soared. They tangled, swirled, and slammed against

the marble wall behind her.

" Eugeoooo!! " Kirito screamed.

That was right: This was the final chance.

Eugeo pulled the dagger from its hiding spot and charged.

Just eight mels to reach Alice.

Seven.

Six.

And then something happened that no one could have pre-

dicted.

The abnormal surge of the melded powers of divine Perfect

Weapon Control slammed into the Central Cathedral wall so

hard, cracks and splits began to form.

With an earthshaking rumble, the massive marble edifice,

seemingly indestructible just like the Everlasting Walls, began to

crumble.

Squares of stone fell outward one after another, and the hole

in the wall grew and grew. Eugeo stared, dumbfounded, at the

blue sky and white clouds beyond.

A sudden gust of wind smacked his back and knocked him to

the grass. The air inside the tower was being sucked out through

the hole in the wall—and the two closest to the aperture were

helpless to resist it.

To his utter shock, the tangled black swordsman and golden

knight were sucked out of the tower. The image burned itself into

his retinas.

"Aaaaaah!!" he screamed, crawling up to the hole.

What should I do? Make a rope from sacred arts—no, use the

Blue Rose Sword's ice to—

He didn't have time to put any of these ideas into action.

The stones of the cathedral wall that had fallen through the

outside were gathering together, as though time itself were

rewinding.

With each one fitting into place, the hole got steadily smaller:

gonk, gonk, gonk .

"Aaaaaah!!" he wailed again, rushing up to the wall just as it

became seamless once more.

He slammed a fist against it. And again. And again.

The skin of his hand split and blood flew from the wound, but

the restored wall did not budge.

"Kiriiito!! Aliiiiice!!"

His voice only echoed off the cold, smooth marble.