In The Far North, October 380 HE Part 2

There was no way Alice could ever truly repay her mentor for protecting and

guiding her, and it wasn't as though she'd completely abandoned her sense of

solidarity with Eldrie and the other Integrity Knights. But these loyalties alone

were not enough to bring her to fight.

Strength was the power of will itself. The battle in the cathedral had taught

her this truth. If by sheer willpower, one could gain the advantage in the face of

odds that spelled certain defeat, as Kirito had done, then willpower could also

turn the greatest divine weapon into nothing more than a sad hunk of metal…

"…I cannot," she said, barely above a whisper.

Without missing a beat, Eldrie demanded, "Why not?"

He didn't wait for her answer. Instead, his gaze whipped to the young man

sitting in the chair next to the heater.

"Is it because of him? Is the man who broke out of his cell in Central Cathedral

and fought back against the knights, the prime senator, and even the pontifex

herself still ensnaring your heart somehow? Because I will gladly seize the

honor of cutting out the root of your uncertainty."

He squeezed hard on the edge of the table. Alice's remaining eye shot him a

venomous glare. "Stop that!"

It wasn't very loud, but there was enough authority in her voice to bring the

other knight to attention.

"He fought for the sake of the justice that he believed in," she snapped. "If

not, how do you explain that he was able to defeat the supreme Integrity

Knights and even our exalted commander? You fought against his blade. You

should know its weight."

Creases of frustration formed on the bridge of his proud nose, but Eldrie did

relax his shoulders. His eyes dropped to the table, and he confessed, "It is true

that I find it difficult to accept the truth of Administrator's plan to turn half the

population into soulless soldiers with swords for bones. And without Kirito and

his friend Eugeo, no one would have been able to stop that plan from becoming

reality. And if Bercouli's story is true that their guide was the other pontifex,

Cardinal, who once stood on equal footing with Administrator, then I have no

desire to see Kirito's crimes tried and judged. But…but that only makes his

actions harder to understand!"

His voice was plaintive and insistent—a confession of thoughts kept hidden

until this moment.

"If Kirito the rebel is, as you claim, a greater warrior than we Integrity Knights,

why does he not take up his sword and fight now?! Why has he become so

feeble and tied you down to this remote place? If he struck down Administrator

to protect the people of the realm, then why does he not proceed to the

Eastern Gate at once?!"

Nothing about Eldrie's fervent outburst seemed to reach Kirito. The only thing

his heavy-lidded eyes reflected was the flickering flame in the heater.

It was Alice's gentle voice that broke the stifling silence that followed.

"…I'm sorry, Eldrie. I cannot go with you. It is not because of Kirito's condition;

I have lost my ability with the sword—that is all. If we were to fight now, I

would not last three strikes into the duel."

Eldrie's eyes bulged. The proud knight's face crinkled up like a young child's.

Eventually, he managed to form a resigned little grin.

"…I see. Then I have nothing more to say…"

He reached out his hand and muttered the initiation of a sacred art, followed

by a quick incantation of two crystal elements that he formed into delicate wine

glasses. Then he picked up the wine bottle, plucked the firm stopper out with

his fingertips, poured an equal amount of the red liquid into each glass, and set

it down.

"…If I'd known we'd be drinking to our final meeting, I would have brought a

two-hundred-year vintage from the western empire's private cellar."

Eldrie lifted one of the glasses, drank it down in a single gulp, then put it back

on the table. He saluted her, stood, and turned, his white cloak flapping.

"This is farewell, Master. Your student Eldrie will never forget your lessons on

the sword and arts."

"…Be well. I will pray for your safety," she managed to reply. The Integrity

Knight nodded back at her, then strode away, boots clicking. There was

unassailable dignity in his gait, and Alice had to look away.

The door opened, then shut. Outside, Takiguri cried once, followed by the

flapping of wings. Amayori hummed sadly over the sudden parting, a thorn that

pricked Alice's heart.

The powerful wings grew more distant until the sound eventually faded away.

She sat motionless all the while.

Before the delicate crystal glass could run out of life and fall apart, she picked

it up and put it to her mouth. Her first taste of wine in half a year was not

sweet; it left only a puckering tartness on her tongue. Mere seconds later, the

two empty glasses vanished, leaving a few brief beams of light behind.

She put the cork back into the bottle, which wasn't empty yet, and stood up.

Over by the fire, she told the silent Kirito, "I'm sorry about that. You must be

tired. It's past our bedtime. Here, let's get you over there."

Alice helped him stand up, hands on his shoulders, and guided him toward

the adjacent bedroom. Once she'd changed him from his black indoor shirt to a

plain pajama top, she helped him lie down on the bed by the window.

Near his feet, there was a folded blanket, which she spread out and placed up

to his neck. But Kirito's half-open eyes just stared up at the ceiling without

blinking.

She blew out the lamp on the wall, filling the room with bluish darkness, then

sat next to him and stroked his sunken chest and bony shoulders for several

minutes until he finally closed his eyes as though running out of power.

Once she was sure his breathing was quiet and steady, Alice got up and

changed into her own white nightgown. She went back out to the living room to

check on Amayori at the window, then extinguished the two lamps there and

returned to the bedroom.

After lifting the blanket and lying down next to Kirito, a faint warmth

enveloped her body. Normally, she only had to close her eye to immediately

drift into slumber, but that sensation was elusive tonight.

The shining white of Eldrie's cloak hanging behind him stubbornly refused to

vanish from the back of her eyelid, distracting her and keeping her awake.

There was a time when she had been filled with the same pride that he now

felt. It was the certainty that her sword was protecting the world, the people

who lived in it, and the might of the Axiom Church—and the power that this

knowledge gave her actions.

But now she had lost every last bit of that power.

She wanted to ask something of Eldrie, her former disciple. What do you

believe in now that the hypocrisy of the church and pontifex are revealed? What

do you fight for?

But she couldn't. Aside from her and Bercouli, none of the Integrity Knights

had been told the entirety of the pontifex's horrifying plan. Eldrie didn't know

about the existence of his Memory Fragment trapped in the sealed-off top floor

of Central Cathedral, or the fact that his most beloved person had been turned

into a piece of the Sword Golem there.

So he could still have faith in the Axiom Church itself. He could wait in faith

for the day that the three goddesses sent a new pontifex to Central Cathedral to

guide humanity with infallible wisdom once again.

But what should she do, knowing now that the existence of the gods and their

celestial realm was all a big sham? Whether he had much of a choice or not,

Commander Bercouli was preparing for the coming war by revealing only half of

the truth to the other knights. If she joined them now, the conflicts she carried

within her would surely spread to the others.

Nobody knew whether a hastily assembled defensive army would be able to

repel an all-out invasion by the forces of darkness. If they broke through the

Eastern Gate, the blood-starved monsters would eventually reach this distant

village, too. When she wondered whether there was no way at all left to avoid

this tragedy, a voice replayed itself in her mind from memory.

Her mind fixated on two sentences that had come from the mysterious crystal

panel after the battle against the pontifex—and before Kirito had collapsed for

good.

Head for the World's End Altar.

Leave the Eastern Gate and head far to the south.

She didn't recognize the sacred term World's End Altar. But she knew what

she would find by leaving the Eastern Gate. Land as black as ash and skies the

color of blood over the Dark Territory. Once she made her way into that place,

it would not be easy to advance or return.

So once she made the unfathomably difficult journey through the land of

darkness and reached this altar, what would be there? Was there really

someone—or something—that could protect the people of the world from the

dark army…?

Alice craned her head on the pillow and glanced at the boy sleeping on the

other side of the bed. She wriggled through the blanket to be closer to him.

After a moment's hesitation, she reached out and clung to his body, like a child

frightened by a nightmare.

No matter how hard she pulled on his painfully thin frame, the boy whose

burning righteousness had moved her so deeply made no response. His sluggish

heartbeat did not pick up, nor did his dark eyelashes even twitch. Perhaps all

that remained was a husk—a pitiful vessel that had once contained a soul.

If she had a sword in her hand now…

…she would run through both of their hearts in one go and end it all.

But the moment passed, and the idea slipped from her mind like the tears

falling onto Kirito's neck.

"Tell me, Kirito…what should I do…?"

She received no answer.

"What…should I...?"

The moonlight shining through the parted curtains collected in the droplets as

they fell, one after the other.

2

The next day, the twenty-second day of the tenth month, was the coldest of

the fall.

She decided not to go on their usual walk but stayed inside by the stove with

Kirito. She was planning to learn from Garitta how to split logs for firewood

before winter really arrived, but that didn't seem like it was going to be

necessary.

She took an entire day to write a letter on just two sheets of parchment and,

after some waffling, finally decided to sign it with her last name Zuberg in

common script, then added Synthesis Thirty in sacred script below it.

Alice folded it carefully, wrapped it, and addressed it to Selka. She wrote

another one to Old Man Garitta and placed the two on the table.

The letters were of parting and apology. Now that Eldrie knew about this

house, she couldn't stay here. Next, it wouldn't be Eldrie coming to try to

recruit her, but Commander Bercouli himself. And Alice didn't have the words

she ought to say to her sword master.

So she was going to run away again.

She exhaled a long, long breath, then looked up at the black-haired young

man sitting across from her at the table.

"Say, Kirito, where would you like to go? I've heard that the highlands of the

west are beautiful. Or perhaps the jungles of the south? It's warm year-round,

and you can pick all sorts of fruit there."

Her voice was bright and conversational, but Kirito did not respond, of course.

His empty eyes just stared at the surface of the table. Her heart ached at the

idea of forcing this wounded young man into a life of wandering again. But that

didn't mean she could leave him here in Rulid. Selka was a nun in training, so

she couldn't force that burden on her, and Alice didn't want to do it anyway.

Taking care of Kirito was her only reason to live right now.

"…You know what? I'll leave it up to Amayori. Shall we go to bed a bit sooner

than usual? We'll need to wake up nice and early tomorrow."

She changed Kirito and got him into bed, then put on her own pajamas,

extinguished the lights, and got under the covers.

In the darkness, she listened closely to Kirito's breathing. When he was

completely asleep, she squeezed closer to him. Her head rested against Kirito's

bony chest, and through the perfect seal of her ear, his slow heartbeat was

audible.

Kirito's heart was not here anymore. His heartbeat was just an echo from the

past. It had seemed that way for all the months she had fallen asleep next to

him like this. But at the same time, a part of her wondered whether there might

still be something contained within that quiet beating.

If Kirito was actually conscious but unable to display it in any way, how would

she explain what she was doing now? The thought brought a little smile to her

lips as she sank into a light sleep.

Abruptly, a small tremor ran through their bodies.

She lifted her heavy eyelid and looked toward the window to the east, but the

sky through the curtains was still black. She got the feeling she'd slept for only

two or three hours at most.

Kirito's body twitched again, so Alice whispered, "It's still the middle of the

night…Let's go back to sleep, okay…?"

She closed her eye again and stroked his chest, hoping to put him back to

sleep. But then she heard a quiet voice near her ear and finally realized

something was wrong with the boy.

"A…aah…"

"Kirito…?"

Kirito didn't have any spontaneous desires at the moment. He would not

wake up if he was cold or thirsty or had some other physical need. Yet, his body

was trembling, harder and harder—his legs moving as though he might try to

get out of bed.

"What's the matter…?"

For a moment, she wondered whether he was actually coming to his senses,

so she got up in a hurry and generated a light element to save her the trouble of

going to turn on a lamp.

But when the pale light lit up Kirito's eyes, they were just as dark and empty

as ever, to her disappointment. So what had caused this…?

This time, it was a sound outside the window that caught her attention.

"Krr, krrrr!"

It was from Amayori, who should have been sleeping at the edge of the

clearing. The dragon's cry was hard and high-pitched in warning.

Alice got out of bed and raced through the living room to open the front door.

Instantly, there was a rush of cold night air. Rather than the scent of the forest,

it contained something alien. The stench stung deep in her nostrils, burning,

charring…

She raced barefoot through the door. After a brief survey of the night around

her, she gasped.

The sky to the west was burning.

The eerie red light was undoubtedly the reflection of some great blaze. Upon

closer examination, she noted a number of plumes of smoke splitting the view

of the stars above.

A wildfire?! she wondered at first, then dispelled the notion. What was

coming on the ashy wind was the sound of striking metal—and many screams.

Enemy attack.

The army of the Dark Territory was attacking Rulid.

"…Selka!!" she shrieked, racing back to the cabin. But the moment she

reached the porch, she suddenly had doubts.

She had to save her sister and parents at all costs.

But what about the other villagers?

If she tried to save as many of them as possible, she'd have to fight the dark

army directly. Did she even have the strength to do that anymore?

The source of Alice's power as an Integrity Knight was her nearly blind loyalty

to the Axiom Church and its pontifex. Now that her faith was lost along with her

right eye, could she actually swing the Osmanthus Blade and cast sacred arts

anymore?

Then, while frozen in place, she heard a thunk from inside the cabin.

Her left eye widened. In the center of the darkened living room, a chair was

overturned, and beside it, a young man with black hair was crawling along the

floor.

"…Kirito…"

Alice entered the cabin with wilting legs. There was still no willpower in

Kirito's eyes, but there was a clear purpose in his sluggish actions. His arm

extended straight ahead to the three swords on the wall.

"Kirito…are you…?"

Something hot and hard blocked the passage from Alice's chest to her throat.

It took her some time to realize that the cause of her blurring vision was tears.

"…Ah…aaah…," he croaked, not stopping his determined crawl toward the

swords for an instant. Alice rubbed at her eye and raced straight for the boy,

picking his skinny body up from the floor.

"It's all right—I'll go. I'll save the villagers. Please, don't worry. Just stay here,"

she whispered quickly, clutching Kirito.

B-bmp. B-bmp. She could feel his heartbeat as their chests met.

Even if his mind was absent, that sound contained the unstoppable strength

of burning will and purpose. Faint though that flame might be, Alice could feel

its heat.

After pressing her cheek to his for a moment, Alice easily lifted him up and

put him in the chair.

"Once I've saved everyone, I'll come right back," she said again, getting the

armor and sword belt she kept in the wardrobe and putting them on over her

pajamas. Then she rushed to the eastern wall and grabbed her sword without a

second thought.

The powerful weight of the Osmanthus Blade pushed against her palms for

the first time in half a year. She fastened the sheath to her belt, tossed a cloak

over her shoulders, and stuck her feet into boots, then raced back outside.

"Amayori!!" she called toward the dragon's bed on the eastern end. Instantly,

a huge shadow surged forward with its head low. She leaped onto the base of

the long neck and commanded, "Go!!"

Silver wings beat the air, and after a short run, the dragon soared up into the

night sky.

Just gaining a bit of altitude made the state of Rulid very clear. It was mostly

the northern end of the village that was burning. The invaders must have come

from the Dark Territory through the northern cave.

Last night, Eldrie had claimed there was nothing wrong with the cave, which

had been sealed on Bercouli's orders. If they had removed all the rubble in a

single day, they must have marshaled far more than just ten or twenty soldiers

for this raid.

Since ancient times, it had been common for small groups to infiltrate the

three caves in the End Mountains under cover of night so they could work

mischief in the human lands. Kirito and Eugeo had said that before they'd come

to Centoria, they'd fought goblins in the northern cave. But she'd never heard

of such a huge and brazen attack. Perhaps the entire Dark Territory really was

preparing for an overall invasion of the realm.

As Alice pondered this topic, Amayori promptly crossed the thick forest and

reached the airspace over the barley fields surrounding Rulid. She didn't have

reins, but a light slap on the dragon's neck with her palm got her orders across;

she told it to hover.

Alice leaned forward and focused on the village. The northern end of the main

road that ran north to south through Rulid was glowing with fire, casting the

silhouettes of the attackers into relief. They were goblins, leaping lithely back

and forth. A short distance from them, much larger orcs were approaching.

Just to the north of the center clearing was an impromptu defensive wall

made up of furniture and lumber supplies, but the goblins were already there,

and she could make out the glinting of blades clashing just beyond the

obstacles.

The village's men-at-arms were fighting back. But their numbers, gear, and

experience were inferior even to the goblins'. When the rumbling orcs marched

up to them, the humans would be utterly crushed.

She kept watching, avoiding the urge to leap directly into the midst of battle.

There were a number of fires burning on the east and west edges of the village,

too, but the central clearing and south side were unharmed for now. All the

villagers aside from the guards—including Selka—must have escaped through

the south gate into the forest, she presumed.

So when she looked more carefully at the central clearing, Alice gasped.

"Why…?!"

Surrounding the fountain at the center of the round empty space in front of

the church was a tightly packed crowd of figures. There were so many of them

that she at first didn't recognize what she was seeing. It had to be the entire

population of Rulid.

Why weren't they evacuating the village?

If the main force of the invaders reached the defense line, the guards would

be scattered in an instant. If they didn't get moving now, they wouldn't be able

to evacuate in time.

Alice slapped the dragon's neck again, intending to ride it directly over the

clearing. "Amayori, wait here until I call for you!"

Then she leaped from her mount's back, dozens of mels off the ground, cloak

flapping wildly as she split the cold night air.

The circular mass of three-hundred-plus villagers had the adult men on the

edges bearing farming tools like plows and scythes, indicating their willingness

to fight. Alice landed right near two men who seemed to be giving constant

orders.

The paving stones split outward from her landing point with a rumble like

thunder. An incredible impact ran from her soles to her crown, indicating some

loss of life value.

The two men—Nigel Barbossa, the farm owner, and Gasfut Zuberg, the elder

of Rulid—fell silent in shock at the sudden arrival of a visitor from above.

Alice felt a tiny twinge of pain in her breast at the sight of her father's face,

but she used the moment of silence that resulted to shout an order to the

crowd. "You cannot fight them off here! All of you, take the path south and

escape the village at once!!"

Nigel was the first to recover, however. "Don't be ridiculous! We can't leave

my mansion—the village behind!!" he bellowed, veins bulging on his forehead.

Alice shot back, "You have enough time to make a clean escape from the

goblins if you move now! What's more important to you, your riches or your

life?!"

Nigel only mumbled under his breath, so it was Gasfut, the elder, who spoke

up next. "It was Chief Man-at-Arms Zink who ordered that we shore up our

defenses in a ring at the center of the village. In this situation, even I am at the

mercy of his instructions. That is imperial law."

Now it was Alice's turn to be speechless.

In times of emergency, whoever had the calling of chief man-at-arms gained

the right to temporarily issue orders instead of the village or town elder. It was

indeed a part of Norlangarth Basic Imperial Laws.

But Zink was still very young and had just inherited the position from his

father. He couldn't possibly give wise, rational orders in the midst of such an

abnormal situation. The anxiety on Gasfut's pale face made it clear he was

thinking the same thing.

But to the villagers, imperial law was absolute. In order to begin a prompt

evacuation, she'd have to grab Zink from the northern defensive line where he

was giving orders so he could change his tune—but there clearly wasn't time for

that now.

What to do? What could she…?

It was then that a young but strident voice piped up.

"We should do what Sister says, Father!!"

Alice gasped and looked at the interior of the circle, where a young

apprentice nun was using sacred arts to heal burned villagers.

"…Selka!"

Relieved that she was alive and well, Alice started heading for her beloved

sister, but Selka stood up and marched through the crowd for the trio first.

Selka spared only the barest hint of a smile for Alice as she approached

Gasfut, all business. "Father, has Sister ever been wrong about anything in her

life? Even I can tell that at this rate, we're all going to be slaughtered!"

"B-but…," Gasfut stammered, pained. His graying mustache quivered, and his

eyes wandered.

Nigel Barbossa filled the silence for the elder instead. "Children should mind

their tongues! We will protect the village!" he exploded, his bloodshot eyes

fixed on his mansion located close to the clearing. Nigel was only thinking of his

fresh harvest of barley and the sacks of coins he'd amassed over the years.

The rich farmer glanced back at Alice and Selka and screeched, "Oh…oh! I

understand now! You brought those monsters down upon the village, Alice!!

When you crossed the End Mountains years ago, you were despoiled by the

power of darkness! You witch…This girl is a witch!"

He jabbed a fat finger at Alice. She was stunned. The murmuring of the

villagers, the sound of battle at the defensive barrier, even the incoming war

shouts of the monster army to the north all faded away.

Since she'd begun living outside the village, Alice had cut down a number of

huge trees on Nigel's behalf. Every single time, he positively writhed with

delight and gratitude. And now he was making these accusations out of the

pure desire to protect his own wealth.

The middle-aged man's expression was as ugly and hateful as an orc's. Alice

looked away from him.

Then do as you will. And I will do the same. I'll take Selka, Garitta, my parents,

and Kirito and leave this place to find a new home, far, far away.

She clenched her teeth and closed her eye. But even then, her mind kept

working.

But if Nigel Barbossa and the other villagers seem stupid to me, it is the

centuries of the Axiom Church's rule that made them this way.

The Taboo Index and the countless other laws and rules beneath it

constricted the people, giving them the lukewarm bath of safety, while robbing

them of something much more important.

The power to think independently. The power to resist.

Over that eternal length of time, where had that invisible power of humanity

been collected?

Into just thirty-one Integrity Knights.

She sucked in a deep breath, exhaled, then opened her left eye so wide, it

was practically audible. When it focused on Nigel, his face went pale with fright.

But at the same time, Alice felt a strange sense of power welling up from

within. It was like a pale flame—quiet but hotter than anything. It was the

power she'd thought she'd lost for good at the end of the battle atop Central

Cathedral—the power that had helped Kirito, Eugeo, and Alice face off against

the greatest ruler of humanity.

She took a deep breath and said, "I am annulling the order of Chief Man-atArms Zink. I order all the people in this clearing to evacuate to the forest south

of here, with those of you who are armed in the lead."

Her voice was calm and controlled, but Nigel was bowled over, as if struck by

invisible hands. It was a credit to his spirit that he even managed the mewling

argument he did. "Wh…what authority gives a runaway girl like you the right to

—?"

"My authority as a knight."

"Wh…what do you mean, knight?! There is no such calling in this village! You

cannot simply call yourself a knight because you can use a sword! If the great

knights of Centoria found out, they would…," he stammered, spraying spittle.

She stared him right in the face, then moved her left arm across her body to

grab the cloak on her right shoulder.

"I am…My name is Alice. I am third among the Axiom Church's Integrity

Knights in the central district of Centoria: Alice Synthesis Thirty!!" she

announced, throwing off her cloak.

The moment the heavy cloth was free, the blazing fires reflected in a dazzling

array off her golden armor and Osmanthus Blade.

"Wha…? An I-I-Integrity Knight…?!" Nigel shrieked in falsetto, falling to his

ample bottom in shock. Gasfut was equally stunned.

Alice's introduction could not have been false. There was no one in this entire

world who could lie about being an Integrity Knight—and thus defy the very

authority of the Axiom Church. If anyone could, it would only be Kirito and

Alice, but even having escaped from Centoria, Alice had not abandoned the

sword that marked her as a knight.

The murmuring villagers went utterly silent. Even the shouting and clashing

from the battle to the north and the bellowing of the guards and goblins got

quieter.

It was Selka who first broke the silence.

"Sis…ter…?" she whispered, clutching her hands before her chest. Alice smiled

kindly back at her.

"I'm sorry for hiding this from you for all that time, Selka. This is the true

punishment I've been given. And…my true duty."

Large wet orbs collected in Selka's eyes. "Sister…I…I believed in you. I knew

you weren't a sinner. You're so…so beautiful…"

The next to act was Gasfut. He fell loudly to a kneeling position on the paving

stone, and with his head down, he called out, "I hear and obey your order, Lady

Integrity Knight!"

Then he swept to his feet and turned to face the villagers. "On your feet,

everyone!" he commanded. "Run to the south gate, with those of you armed at

the front! Once out of the village, head into the forest south of the cultivated

clearing!"

An uneasy murmur ran through the crowd. It lasted only a moment, however.

They had no possible alternative to obeying the elder's orders, especially if he

was speaking for an Integrity Knight.

The hardier farmers at the perimeter of the crowd stood and motioned for

the women, children, and elderly to get to their feet, too. Before Gasfut could

stand at the head of the group, Alice beckoned him over and said quietly,

"Father, take care of everyone…and of Selka and Mother."

For just an instant, Gasfut's expression softened, and he replied simply,

"Please…do take care, Lady Knight."

Alice knew he would never call her his daughter again. That, too, was a price

of the power she'd been given. It was with this thought weighing on her that

Alice pressed Selka to stand next to Gasfut.

"Sister…don't get yourself hurt," Selka said through teary eyes. Alice favored

her with a smile and turned to the north. Behind her, the villagers all began to

move.

"Oh…oh…my…my poor mansion…," wailed Nigel Barbossa, who was still

sitting flat on the ground. He glanced back and forth between the retreating

villagers and the fires approaching his home. Alice decided to ignore him and

focus on the state of the village as a whole.

She'd succeeded at moving the villagers, but there were three hundred of

them. It would take time for all those people to leave the village. Meanwhile,

the defensive line was bound to break soon, and the marching footsteps of the

enemy were approaching from the east and west, too.

Then there was a scream from a young man at the north end of the clearing.

"It's no use! Pull back! Run awaaay!!"

That would be Zink, leader of the guards. The shout seemed to spur Nigel

Barbossa on; he leaped to his feet and snapped at Alice, "There…you see? We

ought to have stayed here and defended! We'll be killed! We'll all be

slaughtered!!"

Alice shrugged and said quietly, "You'll be fine with the head start you've got.

I will hold them off here."

"You cannot! You cannot possibly do such a thing! Even…even if you are an

Integrity Knight, what can one person do against such a numerous horde?!"

The fearsome sight of goblins was visible to the east and west by now, but

Nigel remained, shrieking invectives. Alice ignored him and glanced behind her.

The last row of villagers was still in the clearing, but they were a good distance

away from the center, where she was standing now.

Alice grabbed Nigel by the collar and hurled him southward. Then she thrust

her hand into the night sky and called her mount.

"Amayori!"

Instantly, there came a tremendous bellow from above. As she waved her

hand from west to east, she commanded, "Burn them all!!"

There was a storm of wings beating as Nigel and the inhuman goblins who

were racing into the clearing all looked up at the same time. The massive

dragon plunged toward them, its shape dark against the fire-reddened sky, and

opened its jaws wide. There was a bright flicker in its throat, and— Shwoom!!

Brilliant light shot forth. The beam of heat landed on the street to the west

and passed right before Alice's and Nigel's eyes, sweeping over to the street

east of the clearing.

After the briefest of pauses, a line of tremendous flames erupted from the

ground toward the sky. Engulfed, the goblins shrieked and screamed as the

force of the eruption threw them off their feet.

The dragon's breath had dispatched over two dozen attackers all at once,

simultaneously evaporating the water of the fountain in the center of town and

turning it into a cloud of steam. Amayori skimmed over the vapor as Alice gave

the order to wait, then glanced behind her.

Nigel Barbossa was back on the paving stones in terror, his beady eyes

bulging. "Wh…wha…? A d…d…d-d-drag…?!"

The middle-aged man's pudgy cheeks quivered pathetically. Just then, the

steam gave way to reveal Rulid's men-at-arms sprinting forward, wearing

matching leather armor. The timing of the order to retreat had paid off in the

end, as while the dozen or so guards had wounds here and there, none of them

seemed too serious.

Admirably, the large chief named Zink was running in the very back row.

When he noticed that the clearing was empty, he was stunned. "Wh-where did

the villagers go?! Didn't I tell them to shore up our defenses back here?!"

"I sent them into the southern forest," Alice answered, and he blinked as if

finally noticing her presence. Once he had looked her up and down from head

to toe, he gasped, "Are you…Alice…? Why are you…?"

"I don't have time to explain. Is this all the men-at-arms? There are no

stragglers left behind?"

"N…no, there shouldn't be…"

"Then I want you all to join them and escape. And take Mr. Barbossa there

with you."

"B-but…they're nearly upon—"

Before he could even finish his sentence, the open space rumbled with a

fierce growl.

"Gee-heeee!"

"Where are they?! Where have the miserable white Iums run off to?!"

Charging through the vapor mist into the clearing was a group of goblins

wearing crude armor of metal plating, wielding barbaric blades like hunks of

steel, and sporting long feathers on their heads. They were apparently from a

different tribe than the ones who'd been burned by Amayori's flames along the

side roads—a bit bigger and better built.

Alice sized up the demi-humans and put her hand on the hilt of her sword.

The dragon couldn't use its flame twice in a row. Alice would have to fight them

off by herself until Amayori could restock its flame elements.

One of the goblins noticed Alice in her golden armor and turned its greedy

yellow eyes with all their cruelty and avarice upon her. "Gee-hee!! An Ium

woman! Kill her! Kill and eat her!!"

It swung its sword with freakishly long arms, sending the other creatures

racing straight for her. Alice waited as they approached.

What incredible power I've been gifted. Almost as though my entire existence

is a sin.

This Integrity Knight's body.

"Giyaaaa!!"

A thick machete came leaping toward her, but Alice neatly and efficiently

blocked it with her left hand. It left a dull impact on her bare palm, but her

bones didn't break; her skin didn't even split. She grabbed the lead weapon in

her fingers and crumpled it as if it were made of thin ice.

Before the twisted shards of metal could even fall to the ground, her other

hand had the Osmanthus Blade loose, swiping sideways through the goblin's

body.

The golden breeze of the sword caught the handful of goblins behind it, too,

eliminating the heavy block of water vapor in the air, too. The four hostiles

looked around with their yellow eyes, uncertain of what had just happened

until, without a word, their upper and lower halves separated and fell to the

ground.

She took a step back to avoid the sprays of blood that erupted a moment

later.

You were wrong, Administrator, she grumbled to herself. You concentrated all

this power into just thirty-one knights and turned us into your puppets. In doing

so, you had the collective power that should have gone to all the people of the

realm in the palm of your hand instead. But such a grotesque power misleads

the one who wields it and those around them. You were consumed by a power

that was too great and became something no longer human…

With the pontifex now dead, there was no way to rectify that mistake.

So if she could at least use this power to the utmost, for the sake of others,

then it was what she would do. She would fight not as an Integrity Knight of the

church but as an individual swordswoman, of her own free mind and will. Just

as those two brave warriors had done.

Alice's closed eye flew open as she paused at the end of her swing.

At the same moment, the impromptu defensive line built at the north end of

the clearing was splintered into pieces from the other side.

The main invasion force plunged through, filling the wide main street from

end to end. There were at least fifty goblins and a smaller number of much

larger orcs bearing tridents, their round bodies covered in thick metal armor.

At the sight of their flashing yellow eyes and the sound of their roars of

hatred and greed, Zink and his guards and Nigel Barbossa all let out desperate

wails.

But Alice's mind was calm.

She wasn't simply relying on her battle ability as an Integrity Knight. Even a

knight would suffer if so many spears managed to surround and pierce them.

It was one new piece of understanding that was giving Alice her power.

I'm about to fight for a cause that I accepted and wanted. To protect my

sister, my parents, and the common people that Kirito and Eugeo fought to

save.

She could practically feel that lingering self-doubt and powerlessness

evaporating inside her, engulfed in the blast of that pure white light. The light

raced throughout her body, eventually gathering in the eye hidden behind her

black bandage and giving off an incredible heat.

"...!"

A fierce pain shot from her eye socket through the back of her head, causing

her to grit her teeth. But this pain was old, familiar, and almost like a long-lost

friend. With her left hand, she grabbed the scrap of cloth that crossed her head

and ripped it loose.

Her right eyelid, which had remained closed for nearly half a year, now lifted.

In the middle of her darkened vision, red light was spreading and pulsing, until it

turned into a flickering flame. The sight of the burning houses from her good

eye overlapped the image until the discrepancy eventually dissolved—and the

image became whole.

With both eyes, she looked down at the black cloth in her free hand.

The bandage, faded from repeated washing, was a piece of Kirito's clothing

that he had ripped loose for her. It had protected her right eye for months after

the seal had blown it out of her head, and just now, its life had been exhausted.

The cloth began to vanish into thin air, starting at one end. Watching the

precious, delicate scene play out helped Alice understand.

She thought she'd been protecting and caring for Kirito for the past months,

after he'd lost his mind and arm. But she was the one who'd truly been under

protection.

"…Thank you, Kirito," she whispered, pressing the black cloth to her lips just

before it could vanish entirely. "I'm…all right now. I'm sure I'll still be uncertain.

I'll worry and come close to falling apart…but I'm moving onward. For what you

—and I—really want."

As the scrap vanished, she looked up. With her improved vision, she could see

nearly a hundred goblins and orcs roaring and charging into the open space. To

the rear, she heard the sound of the guards and Nigel Barbossa running away.

There was no fear in Alice's heart as she faced the enemy army by herself.

She sucked in a lungful of scorching air and shouted, "I am Alice, knight of the

human realm! As long as I am here, you will not find the blood and slaughter

that you crave! Go back through the cave and return to your lands!"

The goblins running at the lead slowed down just a bit, as though blown back

by the force of her ringing statement. But then an especially large orc at the

middle of the pack, apparently their commander, lifted his two-handed ax and

roared back, "Graaaah! Morikka the Foot Harvester will make quick work of one

little white Ium girl!!"

His roar emboldened the goblins once again. They washed forward like a

black wave. Alice tensed in preparation.

"Amayori!" she shouted, and a huge shadow plunged from the sky above. It

didn't have enough accumulated fire elements to use its fire breath again just

yet, but it did intimidate the enemies with its size and tremendous cry as it flew

so close to the ground, it nearly clipped their heads. The creatures were even

more rattled than they'd been before.

Determined not to lose her advantage, Alice brandished the Osmanthus Blade

high overhead and shouted, "Enhance Armament!!"

It was the first time in half a year—and merely an initiation of an abbreviated

version of Perfect Weapon Control—but the sword obeyed her anyway. With a

crisp, clear, ringing sound, the golden blade split into countless tiny pieces,

reflecting the light of the fire as they danced up into the air.

"Storm and churn, my flowers!"

With a buzzing rush, the golden petal blizzard pelted down on the enemy.

The first fountain of blood rose from Morikka, the orc leader. Numerous little

flowers pierced his body, wiping out his life and sending him falling straight

backward with a terrible crash. The other orcs around him wailed and

prostrated themselves.

The Osmanthus Blade was one of the greatest divine weapons, born from the

oldest tree in the world, which grew at the center of the human realm. Like its

other name of everlasting eternity implied, Perfect Weapon Control could split

the weapon into hundreds of flower petals, and each one had a priority level

that was equal to one or more famed master blades. You couldn't block them

with simple cast-iron armor.

With their main force and leader lost in an instant, the other invaders quickly

lost spirit. The speed of their charge slowed until they came to a stop about ten

mels into the clearing. The goblins in the very front row couldn't decide

whether they wanted to give in to desire or fear, so Alice swung the sword in

her right hand one more time. The weapon's hundreds of petals scattered

through the air, lining up into a strict grid pattern between her and the enemy

army.

Alice stared down the demi-humans through the sparkling golden fence and

quietly announced, "This is the wall that separates the human realm from the

dark lands. Dig up the cave if you will, but as long as we knights live and

breathe, you will not be allowed to defile this land! Now choose—come forward

and drown in a sea of your own blood or back away and flee to your land of

darkness!!"

It took less than five seconds for the goblin in the lead to turn the other way.

3

A pleasant chorus of hammer strikes rose up into the stark winter sky.

Alice put a hand to her forehead and glanced across the barley fields at the

jutting silhouette of Rulid.

A week had passed since the invasion by the army of darkness. Many of the

homes on the northern side of the village had burned down, but because the

elder ordered that almost the entire village put their callings on hold to work on

construction, the rebuilding was proceeding quickly. Sadly, twenty-one villagers

had been too slow to escape and had lost their lives. Three days ago, there had

been a ceremony at the church to mourn them all.

Alice was asked to join in the funeral, and after it was over, she rode on her

dragon to inspect the northern cave. The long cavern, which Bercouli had

ordered sealed, had been excavated to a width large enough for a burly orc to

fit through comfortably, and the part that was closest to the Dark Territory

showed signs of a longtime camping area.

The invaders hadn't opened up the entire length of the cave in a night. They

must've sent in a team of engineers from the dark side and then resealed that

end. When Eldrie checked on the status of the cave, he had no idea that behind

the cave mouths, a team of goblins was already inside and working on

reopening both ends.

It was a level of tenacity and prudence that was unthinkable from goblins and

orcs in the past. Just this one incident alone made it clear that this was not at all

like the simple scouting raids that used to happen time and again.

Rather than recollapsing the cave mouths, Alice temporarily blocked the

brook that flowed from the center, where the white dragon made its nest. Once

the cave was flooded, she unleashed the multitude of frost elements she'd

prepared, sealing the cave with ice rather than rock.

Now, unless an arts caster on Alice's level used heat elements to melt the ice,

no one would be able to pass through.

Alice looked from Rulid back to the snowcapped mountains in the distance

and attached the last sack she had to Amayori's left leg.

"Um…Sister?" asked Selka, who'd been helping her pack for the journey with

a brave and unfaltering smile. "Father…wanted to see you off, too. He's seemed

absent all day, ever since he woke up. I'm…I'm sure that deep down, he was

happy that you came home. Please, I want you to believe that."

"I understand that, Selka," Alice whispered, hugging her sister's little body. "I

left the village as a criminal and came back as an Integrity Knight. But the next

time…if I finish all my duties, I will come back as Alice Zuberg. And then I'm sure

I'll be able to say, 'I'm home, Father,' like I should."

"…Yes. I'm sure that day will come," Selka said with a sob, looking up and

rubbing at her face with the sleeve of her habit. Then she turned to the blackhaired young man sitting in a nearby wheelchair and energetically told him, "Be

well, too, Kirito. Get better soon, so you can help my sister."

The young nun put her hands around his downturned head, made the sign of

blessing, and stepped back a few paces.

Alice approached Kirito, gently took away the swords he was holding, and

placed them in the sack fixed to Amayori's saddle. Next, she easily lifted the

slight young man and sat him on the front part of the saddle.

She'd considered leaving Kirito behind in the village and asking Selka to take

care of him. If she headed for the Eastern Gate, where the real battle against

the forces of darkness would commence, Alice would be overcome with duties

as one of the guardians of the human army. She wouldn't be able to care for

Kirito all day long like she did now.

Even still, she decided to take him along.

The night of the attack last week, Kirito had taken his sword and tried to go to

the village. He still had the will inside of him to fight for others. It only made

sense that the key to getting his old self back would be at the battle to protect

the human realm.

She would tie him to her own back with ropes if that was what it took to

protect him. Alice embraced her beloved sister one more time.

"…Well, I should get going, Selka."

"I know. Take care…and make sure you come back, Sister."

"I promise. And…say good-bye to Old Man Garitta for me, too. Be well…and

study hard."

"I will. I'll be a good and proper holy woman…and then…one day…"

Selka couldn't finish her sentence. She put on a brave smile, her face crinkled

and tearstained. Alice caressed her head, then let go and walked over to her

dragon, feeling her reluctance to go, and got onto the rear of the saddle, behind

Kirito.

She nodded down to her sister, then turned her gaze to the blue sky. With a

light crack of the reins, the dragon began bounding powerfully through the

barley field, scarcely affected by the weight of two humans and three swords.

One day, she would return here.

Even if she fell in battle, at least her heart would come back.

Alice brushed aside the droplets stuck in her eyelashes and barked, "Hah!"

She felt weightless as the dragon left the ground.

Amayori caught the updraft, circling as it raced up into the sky.

She burned the images into her mind: vast fields and forest, Rulid with its

brand-new roofs sparkling in the sun, Selka racing after her with both arms

waving.

Alice tapped the dragon's neck, directing it to the east.